Loss and Redemption
by hawker-748
Summary: Another take on "What if Keitaro and Motoko were forced to marry?" COMPLETED
1. Prologue: Lifeless Eyes

Disclaimer: Love Hina is the property of Ken Akamatsu, TV Tokyo, and probably enough lawyers to sink an aircraft carrier. This fanfic is for entertainment purposes only, and may not be distributed for profit. I'm not making any money off of this; I am doing it just for personal enjoyment. Please don't sue. 

Besides, most of my money is already spoken for by my friendly neighborhood Snap-On tools distributor.

Any comments, complaints, complements, flames, and credit card numbers can be sent to: hawker_748@hotmail.com Feedback and reviews would be greatly appreciated.

This fanfic is based on the manga and anime and borrows facets from both of them.

"*" Spoken words

'*' Thoughts

Love Hina

Loss and Redemption

Prologue: Lifeless Eyes

By: hawker_748

"I do."

Those two simple words can have a dramatic effect on a persons life, especially at a wedding. Even more so if one person is reluctant to say them. But when both parties are forced to say those two little innocuous words, the results can be catastrophic.

A small section of Keitaro Urashima's brain was mulling over this fact as he rode the train back to Hinata, but the majority of his thought process was, 'What the hell are we going to do now?'

The 'we' in question was himself; Naru Narusegawa, his friend, study partner, and possible romantic interest. And Motoko Aoyama, his new bride. 'That's Motoko Urashima now, I suppose,' he corrected himself. He turned his head slightly, to take a look at his 'wife' of less than three hours.

To the casual observer, Motoko would have looked like the regal, graceful kendoist she had always been, but to Keitaro the difference from the day before was startling, She was slumped over slightly, not obviously, but for someone who even while relaxing had always carried herself gracefully, a shocking change. But the greatest change was in her eyes. Motoko's eyes had always had a fierce fire burning in them, black marbles with a diamond core. Now they were cold and dead, like a porcelain doll.

Fire belonged in Motoko's eyes, even when it was, usually, directed at him. But the way she was now… Keitaro would have given anything to have Motoko get angry with him again, and take a swipe at him with her sword. He'd be willing to accept more injuries, even another broken leg, to bring back some of Motoko's spirit. But it seemed that there was little chance of her getting excited over anything for the foreseeable future.

Motoko's orderly world had been broadsided twice in a short period of time, by of all people, her beloved older sister Tsuruko. After she had lost to her sister, Motoko had been forced to marry Keitaro as a result, this being the cause of most of the trouble. But to make matters worse, Motoko's sister had stripped her of any rank in the Shinmei School, in affect disowning her from the art she had loved all of her life. The first fate was bad enough, but to force Motoko to give up her greatest love was the on wrong side of cruel.

The marriage had been a quick affair at a small shrine that Tsuruko had produced. 'Where in the HELL did she have that?!' Keitaro wondered, 'I mean Su has always been able to pull electronics out of thin air. Hell, Mutsumi once produced a damn raft, for cryin' out loud, but a shrine?!' A few words had been spoken, some ritual sake had been drunk, and *poof!* instant husband and wife. 

'Tsuruko was thorough,' he had to admit, she even had had two rings with the date and initials engraved on the inside edge made up and ready for this occasion. He fingered the gold band idly, thinking 'these are supposed to be bands of love, but to Motoko they would be bands of shame.' While Keitaro had conceded that being married to Motoko wouldn't be a bad thing, he would have never wanted it like this, a forced, loveless coupling. Keitaro had the sinking feeling that even if the marriage wasn't legal in the eyes of he law, Motoko would stick to it out of honor alone. 

'And while I'm on the subject of love, what happens now between me and Naru?' Keitaro wondered. 'I think I may love her, but I'm married now for all intents and purposes. Is it fair to either of them to think of Naru like that anymore? And am I supposed to live with Motoko now? What about consummation? She's attractive, sure, but I don't want anyone like this! How could I look at myself in the mirror if I did?' 

Keitaro hadn't been able to talk to Naru since the 'wedding', in fact she hadn't spoken to anyone since then. She was riding in a different car, purposely avoiding Keitaro and Motoko. She seemed to be perfectly calm, but her behavior reminded him of the first time that she had failed the Tokyo University entrance exam, and after that, she had had a mini, or more likely, not so mini meltdown. Hinata House's newest couple hadn't spoken much either, as Motoko seemed unwilling to initiate a conversation, and Keitaro was too afraid to. 'Show some nerve man,' Keitaro told himself, 'she's your wife now, talk to her dammit!'

"Are you feeling O.K. Motoko?" Keitaro asked, and then mentally kicked himself. 'Great question dumbass! Of course she's not O.K.!'

Motoko turned to face him, gave a smile that didn't even approach her eyes and said, "Honored Husband, Of course I am O.K. I'm feeling wonderful!"

Keitaro barely stopped himself from shuddering at the sound of her voice. When he was younger, he along with Haitani and Shirai had watched 'The Terminator'. He had always remembered how unemotional and lifeless Arnold Schwarzenegger's voice had been. Well, Motoko's response had made Arnolds' voice seem as lively as Su's in comparison. Even Stephen Hawking's voice was more emotional than Motoko's. And the expression 'Honored Husband'… it had sounded as at home in Motoko's mouth as a Martin Lawrence comedy routine would have been in Shinobu's.

"Motoko, you don't have to call me that, just Keitaro, or even Urashima will be fine."

"Nonsense Honored Husband, since I am no longer a warrior, I will become the perfect wife."

'Uh-oh. I think that she's about to snap! Last time that happened, she tried to cut me in two.' "Motoko, we, we need to sit down and talk about what's happened, and what we need to do about it."

"If you say so Honored Husband. Perhaps after we get back and get settled in together we can talk."

"Yeah, that's good Motoko, we'll do it then," Keitaro replied, more relieved than cared to admit at not having to discuss it right away. He sat back in his chair, and tried to compose his thoughts. Suddenly, something that Motoko had said registered with him. 'Get settled? Does she mean move in together? Oh hell, this is gonna be fun,' he mentally sighed as he contemplated the reactions of his housemates.

***

"This is gonna be FUN!" shouted Kitsune, giddy at the thought of the homecoming/victory party that was ready to begin, just awaiting the guests of honor.

Su was, as usual, bounding around with Sarah, as Shinobu put the finishing touches on the food while Haruka watched stoically.

'It'll be wonderful to have them all back, especially Urashima-sempai,' Shinobu thought with her usual blush. 

"Why does that jerk have to come back?" growled Sarah, Hinata Houses' most outspoken, and obnoxious, resident. "Naru and Motoko are cool, but Keitaro's a loser!"

"Keitaro's great!" replied Su, "just like my big brother!"

"Hmph," grunted Sarah.

"Hey! They're back! All hail the conquering he-" the rest of the cheer would never be vocalized, as Kitsune got a good look at the trio coming up the stairs and froze. 

Solid.

The other residents of Hinata House heard the aborted cry, looked up towards the stairs, and each displayed a common symptom of shock.

The cigarette dropped from Haruka's lips.

Kitsune dropped the bottle of sake.

Shinobu dropped a platter of food.

Su's jaw dropped and she stared. 

Sarah took a step back.

There was a palpitable silence, broken only by three sets of footprints.

What had inspired this reaction was Naru, striding, almost stalking, towards them, a glare on her face that would have caused Godzilla to consider a new line of work. She ignored all the questioning glances, and marched inside, slamming the door loudly. 

Everyone turned back to see Keitaro struggling up the stairs, being helped by Motoko. They seemed to both be wearing pained expressions that probably had nothing had nothing to do with physical discomfort. "What the hell happened out there?" Kitsune asked.

"I lost," Motoko replied before Keitaro could begin to speak, "and so I was forced to comply with my sisters demands. Allow me to re-introduce myself: I am Motoko Urashima, and this is my Honored Husband Keitaro."

There was a moment of silence.

This turned into a long silence.

Then aural hell broke loose.

"Oh my god! How could you?! Sempai! What the hell are you talking about? Are you serious? What are you going to do?" The cacophony of voices made it impossible for either Keitaro or Motoko to understand anyone.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Wait a minute! Can we at least discuss this inside? My leg is killing me," Keitaro said. "Let me get inside, and I'll tell you the whole story." There was an unspoken consensus reached by the other residents of Hinata House and they all went inside.

***

All of the women of Hinata House, minus Naru, who had gone into her room and refused to come out, and Motoko, who knew the entire story anyway and had said that she had something to do, listened with rapt attention as Keitaro explained the situation.

"…and then I put the ring on her finger, she put this one on me, we sipped some sake, and that was it," he finished.

"And you just went along with this, you couldn't have said no?" demanded Kitsune.

"The way that Tsuruko was standing there, and the look on her face, I felt that if I refused, I'd be able to play the lead role in "Legend of Sleepy Hollow," replied Keitaro.

"What did Naru-sempai say?" asked Shinobu, who looked to be on the verge of tears.

"Nothing. She just stood and watched. Said nothing, did nothing, just watched," replied Keitaro despondently.

"Alright then, we'll get this sucker annulled. After all, it's not like you two were willing participants in this," declared Kitsune.

"There's no need for that Kitsune," interjected Motoko as she entered the room. "Honored Husband, I have moved my things into your, I mean –our- room."

"What? Why? And it's OK if you call me Keitaro or Urashima, Motoko," Keitaro replied.

"Don't be foolish, Honored Husband. I am a housewife now, I'm not a warrior anymore. Now if you will excuse me, I have dinner to prepare," said Motoko as she walked into the kitchen.

Everyone stared in absolute shock. Kitsune raised a bottle of sake to her lips with a shaking hand, only to have it snatched away by Keitaro. 

Who then took a long, long swallow.

"What the hell are you doing?" demanded Kitsune.

"Trying to erase that scene from my memory," coughed Keitaro, his throat burning from the sake, "but I don't think that there's enough alcohol in the world for that."

"Why is Motoko acting like this?" asked Su, who seemed to have recovered remarkably quickly.

"Honor," replied Keitaro without a seconds thought, "a powerful sense of honor."

"Does this mean that you and Motoko will sleep together?" asked Su.

"Yeah, I guess so," replied Keitaro. When all the girls gasped, Keitaro realized his mistake. "I mean no! I mean, we will be in the same room, but that's it." All the girls, especially Shinobu, seemed to relax a little at that. 'I don't want to sleep with Motoko.' 

'OK, maybe I wouldn't mind it, but absolutely not under these circumstances.'

There had been times when being the manager of Hinata House had seemed like a blessing, and he wanted to fly out to the cruise ship his grandmother was on and hug her in thanks for giving it to him. There were also times he'd wanted to go out to the ship and toss her overboard. With a couple of steel girders chained to her ankles. This was one of the latter times.

As his new wife came out to announce that dinner was ready, Keitaro had the most ominous feeling that things were going to get extremely ugly extremely fast.

End Prologue.

I apologize if this chapter seems to be little short; I was using it mainly to set the scene. The next few chapters will be longer as I will be moving into the main body of the story. 

I have a good idea how this story will run, but I'm not completely sure how many chapters I will need for it. If you've made it this far, thanks for reading, and any feedback is welcome. 

If you wanna say "This blows!" at least tell me why.


	2. Chapter 1: Warm Blood and Cold Steel

Disclaimer: Love Hina is the property of Ken Akamatsu, TV Tokyo, and probably enough lawyers to sink an aircraft carrier. This fanfic is for entertainment purposes only, and may not be distributed for profit. I'm not making any money off of this; I am doing it just for personal enjoyment. Please don't sue. 

Besides, most of my money is already spoken for by my friendly neighborhood Snap-On tools distributor.

Any comments, complaints, complements, flames, and credit card numbers can be sent to: hawker_748@hotmail.com Feedback and reviews would be greatly appreciated. 

I would like to thank all reviewers for the feedback that was provided. It was taken to heart and I attempted to try any suggestion to improve this chapter. If I haven't succeeded, the fault is mine.

I would also like to thank Harvey Bautista for serving as a pre-reader. I owe ya man. Next time you're in my neck of the woods, the beers are on me.

*Warning from the Author*

I have received a few reviews in which people said they liked the humor. Well the truth is this wasn't supposed to have any humor but the pop culture references defeated that purpose. I intend for this to be a drama, not a comedy. There may be a light moment from time to time, but make no mistake, this is a drama, and the mood will get darker before it gets brighter. But it WILL get brighter. If you're still interested, keep reading.

Thanks

This fanfic is based on the manga and anime and borrows facets from both of them.

"*" Spoken words

'*' Thoughts

Love Hina

Loss and Redemption

Chapter One: Warm Blood and Cold Steel

By: hawker_748

To put it bluntly, dinner was uncomfortable for all. There was a strained silence that hung over the table like a roiling thunderhead, crackling with potential fury and violence. Naru was sitting at the table, her hunger overcoming her wish to just get away from it all. All of the other residents, if only subconsciously, gave her that little bit more room, as if they feared being too close to the seemingly imminent explosion, and becoming collateral damage. Naru herself hadn't spoken at all, with the exception of asking Shinobu to pass the soy sauce. Even that innocent request had caused the other people at the table to jump slightly.

Sitting directly opposite to Naru, Keitaro felt like he was on the wrong end of a firing range, with all the stares he was receiving. Sitting to his left, Motoko was also under close scrutiny from the other girls, each of them pondering the present situation.

'What the hell's up with that smile?' wondered Kitsune, 'I don't think a statue could hold it's expression that long. Is she catatonic or what? And just moving in with Keitaro like that, doesn't she care about Naru's feelings?' 

Kitsune knew that Naru would probably not admit any feelings for Keitaro even under sodium pentothal, but it was as plain as day. She risked a quick glance at Naru and saw her staring down into her rice bowl. 'Why don't you say something, raise a fuss, scream, hell throw a temper tantrum, something to show that you care? Maybe Keitaro thinks that you don't like him that way, and you didn't even try to stop the wedding.'

Kitsune took a savage bite of her meal, and began chewing methodically. 'Alright, what should I do, simply observe what happens, or take a more active role?' After deliberating for a few minutes she decided that she would cross that bridge when she came to it.

Shinobu's thoughts were of a similar nature, mainly 'how could sempai do this? Doesn't he love Naru? If he was willing to marry Motoko, could he have married someone else, like…me?' Shinobu blushed at this thought. As poorly concealed as Naru's feelings for Keitaro were, they were inscrutable compared to Shinobu's crush. Contrary to what she believed, the only person who was in the dark about her feelings for Keitaro was, naturally, Keitaro. The prospect that maybe, just maybe, she might have had a chance with him and had wasted it sent a rusty dagger into Shinobu's heart. 'Sempai…'

If Naru's thoughts had been transcribed, one might be forgiven for thinking that it was a conversation between two different people. Indeed, Naru felt like she was trying to defend her actions at a trial. 

_Why didn't you stop this? _

It doesn't matter what that idiot does. 

_Really? Then how come you go ballistic when he's with Mutsumi, or any other girl? _

Because he acts like a pervert. 

_Aside from few admittedly stupid occurrences of him accidentally peeping, when? _

The first time we met, in the bath. 

_You know that was an accident, right? _

I…I…I guess it was, I suppose. It doesn't matter to me who he dates, marries, loves… 

_Then how do you explain your jealousy? _

I'm not jealous. 

_Right, you knock him into orbit because you don't care. Well guess what, he thinks you don't, and now he's gone, married to Motoko. _

Naru's grip on the bowl tightened to the point that the porcelain began to creak in protest. 

Su also had a few questions that she was pondering; however she lacked the cultural sensitivity, and tact, to keep these questions internal. "Motoko, are you and Keitaro really gonna sleep together?" In the gasps of surprise, no one noticed that Naru had snapped her chopsticks.

"Yes Su, we are," replied Motoko, in the same tone of voice she would have used to ask Su to pass the salt. Keitaro went slightly pale at this reminder.

Naru's grip on the bowl tightened further and cracks began to appear on its' surface.

"Then can I sleep with you two then?" inquired Su. Keitaro's eyebrow began to twitch.

"No Su, it wouldn't be appropriate," chided Motoko. Keitaro let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"Aw, then who can I sleep with tonight?" asked Su. The other residents blanched at this question. Everyone knew that sleeping with Su was a memorable experience, especially while the bruises healed. "Hey Naru, wanna sleep together?"

At this point the bowl finally gave up the ghost and broke, causing a few cuts. 

She didn't even notice any pain. All of the others, except Su, recoiled at the sight.

Keitaro recovered quickly, and concern for Naru's well-being overrode his unease over her behavior. "Naru you're hurt! Let me help you!" he blurted out as he came around the table.

Naru's face contorted in anger before she responded. "Get away from me you bastard!" she shrieked, before nailing him with a right cross that sent him spinning into the wall. He lay there dazed, clutching his cast-bound leg and moaning.

"Honoured Husband!" Motoko exclaimed, and rushed over to his side. "Why did you do that Naru?" 

"When he comes to his senses, tell him to stay the hell away from me!" Naru spat. "That goes for you too, Aoyama!"

"That's Urashima, Naru," Motoko replied quietly.

When people are excited, for whatever reason, they tend to color in the face, such as being red with anger, or blushing in embarrassment. Naru's facial color at this point could have easily been described as 'red-rage'. But upon hearing the word 'Urashima' from Motoko, Naru's color went crimson. Her fury lit the afterburners and went from 'ballistic' to 'escape velocity' in seconds. She stomped over to Motoko, and slapped her across the face with a *crack* so loud, it made everyone wince. "I don't care, just go away!" screamed Naru, all the while glowering over a timid Motoko. She then turned around and bolted out of the dining room at a dead run.

Kitsune's mind was going at a mile a minute clip as she considered what she had just witnessed. "Wh-why didn't you defend yourself Motoko?" she stammered.

"A proper housewife does not shy away from criticism," she said meekly. "Honored Husband, are you all right?" 

'Naru…,' thought Keitaro despondently, 'why did it have to come to this?' "I'm O.K., Motoko." 'Maybe Naru will be willing to talk later.' "I just need to get up. Thank you for dinner Motoko, it was quite good."

"You're welcome, Honored Husband." Because she was bowing when she said that, she missed the pained look that crossed Keitaro's face.

'I wish she'd call me 'Keitaro', or even 'Urashima', he silently reflected. "I'm just going to rest awhile. I'll be in the living room if anyone's looking for me."

"And I have laundry to do, as well as cleaning up our room," added Motoko. See you later Honored Husband."

OK," he replied listlessly.

As the newlyweds left the kitchen, an uncomfortable silence descended on the kitchen. As always, Su broke up the quiet moment.

"Okies, I guess I'll sleep with Sarah tonight!" Su piped up. For her part, Sarah was able to suppress the shudder that overcame her.

***

A few hours later, Keitaro found himself outside Naru Narusegawa's room, trying to work up the courage to knock on the door and talk to her. After five minutes of trying to calm himself, he decided to throw caution to the wind and he knocked loudly on the door. "Naru, it's me, I need to talk to you!" he called out.

There was a noise from inside the room, and shortly the door slid open to reveal Naru standing there, wearing her usual study outfit, and an unreadable expression on her face. "Come in Keitaro, there's something I need to tell you too," she stated calmly.

As he walked in, Keitaro replied, "good, good, maybe we can straighten this out." Naru nodded silently as she moved aside her Liddo-kun doll to reveal the opening beneath.

"Yes, Keitaro, I've already figured out the perfect solution for both of us," she replied in a even voice that set off alarm bells in Keitaro's mind. "How it works is that the both of you STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!" Naru screamed as she effortlessly picked up Keitaro and bodily threw him down through the hole into his room. She placed the cover back over the hole and then moved a dresser on top of it. 

'I got that message clearly,' Keitaro mused as he stared up at the hole in his ceiling, waiting for the room to stop spinning. 'I'll say this for Naru, she's direct. No confusion over intentions there.' As his head cleared, Keitaro decided that now would be a good time to look at 'their' room. 

Actually, it wasn't a good time, he wasn't sure he ever wanted to see what had changed. He had stayed out of this room since his return for just this reason, but now that he was here, he might as well get it over with.

To his initial relief, there wasn't that much of a difference. There were two swords on a rack against the wall, a couple of calligraphy wall hangings, and a suit of samurai armour. In fact, it was actually an improvement; the new additions gave the room some character, and an air of life that had been absent. The suit of armour really looked good next to the two futons, and the wall hangings…

Wait a minute.

Back up.

TWO futons?

'My God!' his mind screamed, 'she was serious about sleeping together!' 

To his shame, Keitaro realized that a portion of his body was not entirely against that idea. 'No! Not like this!' He took several deep cleansing breaths and was able to rein in his hormones, and clear the surprisingly detailed fantasies from his mind. Once the struggle between brain versus gonads was over, he sighed in relief, turned around-

"Honored Husband."

-and almost put a second hole in his ceiling as Motoko had, by teleportation perhaps, he couldn't rule it out, somehow appeared right behind him. "M-M-Motoko…" he stammered. 

Motoko was still wearing that fake smile that he was really beginning to despise, and her eyes were still dark and cold and dead. It was like she was trying to convince herself and everyone else that everything was alright, but Keitaro knew that that this had to be killing her, and he was afraid of what would happen when she finally broke.

"Are you going to bed, Honored Husband?"

'Yeah, lemme just wash up a bit first," he replied as he headed for the bathroom to get ready for bed. A few minutes later, teeth brushed, face washed and ready for bed, Keitaro walked back into the room and caught an eyeful of Motoko as she stripped down for bed.

"Augh! I'm sorry Motoko, it was an accident, I'll knock next time!' he blurted out, turning around and covering his eyes, dreading the inevitable battle cry and impact. When neither occurred after a few moments, Keitaro risked a brief look over his shoulder and saw Motoko standing there, no anger on her face and no sword in her grasp.

"Why would it matter that you saw me, Honored Husband? You could see any part of me if you so desired," said Motoko in a monotone that disturbed Keitaro more than anything else that had happened so far. She continued undressing, removing the last of her chest bindings, leaving her topless before him. With the same smile she said, "I would let you see any part of me that you wanted." She bent over and removed her pants, leaving her clad only in panties and socks.. "You could have me anyway you wanted to, anytime you wanted to. You could take pictures, tie me up, share me with your friends, anything. As your wife it would be my duty to be obedient to your wishes." She took off her socks and finally, she removed her panties and stood naked in front of him, still wearing that same chilling smile.

In Keitaro's opinion Motoko was gorgeous, but there was nothing sexy about the way she was acting now. It reminded him of the last time that he had had a physical, and had to strip down for the doctor. Cold, clinical purpose, nothing more.

'She's absolutely serious,' he realized with dawning horror. 'I could take her, and she wouldn't do anything to stop me.'

Keitaro was relieved that no part of him seemed to favor this option, which meant that looking in the mirror wouldn't be an exercise in avoidance. 

However, he now needed to do something to prevent the prospect of Motoko attempting to initiate any proceedings. 

He faked a yawn and said, "It's been a hectic day, my leg is killing me, and I just wanna sleep now. We won't do anything tonight, just put on your nightclothes."

"Very well, Honored Husband. There's always tomorrow," replied Motoko as she went to the drawer and pulled out a long t-shirt and put it on.

"Yeah," he replied weakly, and laid down on his futon. 

Motoko laid down on hers, said "goodnight Honored Husband," and turned off the light. In the dark silence of the room Keitaro subtly edged away from Motoko's futon and tried to think of a way to improve the situation they were in.

'How am I gonna get outta this one? Do I even want to? Sure, she's gorgeous, and being married to her could be nice. Hell, I AM supposedly married to her, but we never really had a choice did we? No, she's gotta be dying, forced to give up the sword, and becoming just a housewife. I have to bring the old Motoko back, I just gotta figure out how…' Keitaro's musings continued until he passed into a troubled, fitful sleep. 

Motoko's thoughts were also on the marriage, but on a different topic than Keitaro's. 'His leg hurts and he's tired? He always seemed to have enough energy when he was peeping at Naru.' Her spirits sank even further as she continued that thought process. 'He would go out of his way to peep at Naru, no matter how awkward the situation, but I was right here and he wasn't even interested. No nosebleed, no wide-eyes, nothing that would say he enjoyed seeing me.' She clenched her teeth and blinked rapidly to prevent any tears from forming. 'It's bad enough I can no longer be a warrior, but do I have to be unloved as well?'

When Motoko finally acquiesced to sleep, her dreams were filled with images and feelings of loneliness and abandonment

***

The following morning, and the 5 mornings that came after that were all progressively worse than the night before. Motoko seemed to lose more and more of herself and her eyes, which Keitaro would have sworn couldn't have been any more lifeless than that first day, became just that.  She lost more and more of her natural poise and grace, moving in a way that reminded Keitaro of a puppet controlled by an unskilled puppeteer. She seemed to have less focus in her movements, walking with almost a resigned gait. 

She was keeping herself busy with household chores and she had almost supplanted Shinobu in the role of housekeeper. Shinobu still performed some tasks, such as occasionally cooking or doing laundry, but she was able to do these only when Motoko was out of the house.

What was worse was the change in the atmosphere of Hinata House. Keitaro and Motoko were obviously going through a stressful time and it was having a draining effect on the other residents. Naru had retreated to her room, coming out only to eat or bathe, both of which she made every effort to do alone. Kitsune spent hours with Naru, letting her rant while she served as a sounding board, in the hopes that it would help her figure out a way to sort out this mess. But teasing Keitaro and Naru wasn't in the same league as trying to repair the damage in their relationship. Kitsune couldn't see a way to help out, and even when she tried to force Naru and Keitaro together to talk, Naru would usually throw Keitaro out the door.

Without opening it first.

Shinobu was more withdrawn, not talking to anyone unless spoken to first, and even then her answers were usually 'yes' or 'no'. Even the dynamic duo of Koalla Su and Sarah MacDougal were downcast. Su made only token efforts to catch Tama-chan and Sarah thought constantly about Seta.

Basically, the tension was becoming unbearable, and something had to give. What finally broke the situation was initiated when Motoko happened to overhear a conversation between Naru and Kitsune. She hadn't meant to eavesdrop, but she hadn't been able to help herself when she realized that they were talking about her and Keitaro.

"Dammit Naru," hissed Kitsune, "why aren't you talking to him, trying to find out how he feels and what he wants to do?"

"I don't care what he wants Kitsune, Naru replied. "I just want to get on with my life and try to forget him. 'Sides, I'm sure he's enjoying the marriage bed. The perverts…" she muttered darkly.

'Marriage bed?' thought Motoko. Why hasn't he tried anything, am I that undesirable?'

"I don't think so Naru," said Kitsune, "you live above them, I live next to them, and I haven't heard anything, have you?"

"No, but maybe they're just careful."

"I think I would have heard something, or Keitaro would have been grinning like an idiot, or they'd be washing bed sheets on a daily basis." 

'Are we, are we supposed to be like that?! I couldn't, could I?' A blush passed over Motoko's features as she asked herself what she was capable of. The answers she got back were both disquieting and a little exciting, although she wouldn't admit it under torture.

Naru responded to Kitsune's soliloquy with, "so maybe they haven't had sex. So what? Maybe it's that time of the month, maybe they're just extra quiet, or maybe Keitaro's saving himself for me. I just can't deal with this anymore, Kitsune. I want it to end, one way or another, with him or without him. I'll move on, avoid them as much as possible, and good luck to them." 'Damn you Tsuruko! Why did you have to show up when you did?' "Kitsune, you're my friend, but please, just leave me alone for now, O.K.? I think I'll take a little trip by myself for a while. You know, run away and clear my head."

Kitsune's frown was sharp enough to chip granite, but she silently nodded in agreement. "Just don't do anything rash."

"I won't. Now will you please give me a shot from that bottle and go?"

"Sure Naru. Careful, it's bourbon, not sake." There was a brief gulping sound, followed by a couple of hoarse coughs. "Told ya, not for amateurs."

"Thanks," rasped Naru, "see you later Kitsune."

"Stay safe Naru."

As footsteps approached the door, Motoko silently ducked into an empty bathroom. 'So, Naru's giving up on Keitaro. Should I be depressed or thrilled?' Motoko gripped the door handle until her knuckles went white. 'Does he care for me at all? Do I mean so little to him that he goes out of his way to avoid me? Am I destined for a life without love!? Damn you sister, why'd you do this to me?!'

***

"Honored Husband, do you wish to make love tonight?"

Keitaro nearly bit through the mug he was drinking tea from at that question. As it was, he had to wait for the coughing to stop before he could think of a reply. 'Where the hell did that come from?! One minute we're just relaxing in our room, the next it's 'Surprise!' 

"My leg's still bothering me Motoko," he replied when he was able to put a coherent thought together. The 'broken leg' gambit had worked well enough before so he used it without really thinking about it.

"I see Honored Husband. I think I will turn in for tonight."

"Alright then, goodnight Motoko." 'Am I imagining things or did she seem a little more 'down' than normal? Maybe the stress is getting to her.' The light was turned off and both of the Urashimas started to drift off to sleep. However, Mrs. Urashima had other ideas; she had decided on a course of action that that would both honor her sisters' wishes and free the both of them from this prison. It was simple really. Keitaro seemed to love Naru, not her, and she didn't think that she loved him. Better to set him free, after all they hadn't even made the marriage official.

Motoko swiftly but quietly walked over to the two swords on the wall picked up the shorter one and stealthily walked into the hallway, the door closing with a soft 'click'.

The 'click' was just the right volume to rouse Keitaro, who had been at the precipice of falling asleep. He glanced over to his side: Motoko wasn't there. 'Musta gone to the bathroom,' he mused wearily as he rolled over onto his side. His eyes slowly adjusted to the dark and he happened to glance at the sword rack. The long sword was gleaming like chrome in the moonlight. He closed his eyes and once again made an effort to fall asleep.

Suddenly his eyes flew open as his thought process jumped off the rails. 'Waitaminute! Where the hell's the short one?!' Keitaro went pale as one possibility suddenly materialized in his head. 'Jesus, No! Oh god, Motoko!' 

He leapt to his feet and bolted into the hallway, decency be damned. 'Which way, which way?' he frantically tried to determine his destination when inspiration struck. 'Annex rooftop, the laundry area, that's gotta be it!, and he took off as fast as he could. 

As fate would have it, Motoko was at the laundry area, sitting in the lotus position, facing the direction of Imperial Palace and opening her hakama to expose her abdomen. The sword, which had always been comfortable in her hands, now felt cold and heavy, as if it was trying to discourage her.

"One quick thrust, and it's all over. I can die with honor and escape this hell," Motoko murmured to herself as she slowly and deliberately raised the sword. 'I'm sorry Keitaro, this is for both of us.' She tensed her muscles for one last, final, thrust and…

"MOTOKO! STOP!"

Keitaro's scream almost had the opposite effect: Motoko jerked in surprise and the sword started its' plunge. Fortunately she was able to check its' movement at the last second.

"Motoko, what the hell are you doing!?"

"You need to ask?"

"I mean, why the hell are you doing this?!"

"It'll free both of us; I'll be out of this loveless marriage, you can pursue Naru, and I can die as a warrior."

"Why do you call it loveless? We, we have some good felling for each other, don't we? I don't hate you, I care for you, and I'm worried about right now. I don't want to see you do something rash." After a seconds consideration Keitaro added, "Naru isn't very interested in me right now. She's been nailing me with a lot more force than usual lately. I think that if she never saw me again she'd be thrilled. Why the hell are we talking about Naru now? Why can't you still live as a warrior? Lots of people don't live and die by their elder siblings word."

A fearsome scowl fell over Motoko's features. "You care?" she spat venomously. "You're lying! You've avoided me, you haven't even touched me, much less make the marriage official." Lost in her fury and frustration, Motoko failed to see Keitaro go pale at that comment. "I can't be a warrior and you won't let me be a woman. My sister must have been insane, thinking that the two of us would work. I honoured her wishes because it is our way, it is tradition, it is what I used to live for." She looked Keitaro straight in the eye and said, "Don't worry about Naru, she'll come around eventually. The only way she'd never forgive you is if you killed her parents or raped Shinobu. But I don't think you'd do either, so she'll forgive you eventually. And if I'm out of the way, you can be together."

Keitaro had to violently suppress a feeling of relief at the prospect of Naru forgiving him. 'Gotta stay focused, or Motoko's gonna do this!' "I do care, but until you said that, I figured you'd introduce me to the business end of your sword if I tried anything physical with you. I don't even know if that's what you really want of if you're trying to live up to your sisters wishes!" Keitaro took a breath and the continued. "Is tradition worth dying for? Is it worth losing everything and leaving everyone who cares for you behind? You'll hurt everyone if you do this, not just yourself."

"Will you be hurt Urashima?" Motoko asked plainly.

"Yes," he stated simply, and with total conviction.

After a few moments of reflection Motoko looked up and said, "I believe you Urashima, but I also believe you'd be happier with Naru. I also know that honor and tradition mean everything to me, and without that I have nothing. Keitaro was chilled by the resignation that he saw etched on her features. "I grow weary of arguing, Urashima. Farewell."

With that Motoko raised the sword, closed her eyes and with a quick release of breath thrust the sword towards herself. She was surprised at the total absence of pain as the sword ceased its' movement when it encountered resistance.

She kept her eyes closed, assuming that the next time she opened them she'd be in a better world. It was all so painless she was amazed to discover, just a slight cold touch on her stomach. The only thing that prevented the experience from being completely peaceful was a strained groaning sound, a sound of dripping, and a warm, wet feeling in her lap. 'My blood, I suppose,' she reflected, 'but I still can't believe how painless this is, I've had paper cuts that hurt more.'

As she opened her eyes, prepared to be face to face with her ancestors, Motoko was shocked by the spectacle that was before her. Keitaro was on his knees before her, his face twisted in a rictus of agony. Only a supreme act of will was preventing him from screaming. 'The groans had been his,' she suddenly realized. With a sudden frightened reluctance Motoko slowly looked down towards her abdomen. The tip of her sword was oh-so-gently touching just above her navel. The blade, which should have been shining in the moonlight, was flowing with black. A small voice in the back of her mind said that if the light had been brighter, that fluid would be dark red. 

Blood. 

Keitaro's blood.

In spite of the fact that he had a broken leg, in spite of the fact that he was in love with someone else, in spite of having virtually no martial arts training, Keitaro had grabbed the blade of her sword and stopped the thrust… at obvious personal cost. Blood was flowing down the blade, dripping into her lap, far too much to be safe, and still he hung on, his knuckles white with exertion.

Shaken to her very core, Motoko felt her fingers go limp; the sword fell from her hands on to the roof with a clatter. As the sword fell, Keitaro collapsed on his side, his agony apparent, desperately clutching at his hands, attempting to staunch the bleeding. But his eyes were focused on Motoko, burning, unwavering, unflinching and it was obvious to her that he'd rather bleed to death than look away.

 "Why?" was the only coherent thought that she could vocalize at that moment.

"To-too many people care about you, m-me included, to just let you go," he rasped between obviously pained breaths. "I wouldn't let anyone go without a fight." Keitaro noticed that Motoko's face was blank from disbelief, but considering the fake smile that she'd been wearing since they'd gotten back, it was actually an improvement in his opinion. 

At least it was real. 

Then he noticed a gradual change in her expression that would have looked more at home on Shinobu, but not on Motoko. Her lips curled down and her eyes began to go moist. She leaned towards him and slapped him so hard it loosened a couple of his teeth. All of the frustration, sadness, rage and loathing she had felt and directed inward were unloaded against a new and convenient target.

"Bastard! Why couldn't you have let me be?! Why'd you risk yourself!?" Each statement was accompanied by another brain rattling slap. "Why did you have to care?! Why don't you hate me? I've ruined your chances with Naru! I've tried to kill you! Why did you come into my life?" By now, Motoko's slaps were losing some of their force, to Keitaro's great relief; he felt like he'd lost a game of chicken… with a train on the other side. 

Her sobs were getting louder and tears were unabashedly falling from her cheeks. She slapped him again with virtually no force and then collapsed against him, crying out loud.

Not realizing the level of Motoko's internal turmoil, but figuring that anything was better than her trying to kill herself, Keitaro made an effort to comfort her. Gingerly, and favoring his bloody hands, Keitaro gently held Motoko and let her cry onto his shoulder. Some tears of his own fell, only a few from the pain in his hands. His heart broke seeing the once strong, free-spirited Motoko reduced to this. 'It's all my fault, I've got to do something. Maybe I can talk to Tsuruko…' Keitaro let that thought drop as Motoko seemed to be calming down.

"I'm sorry Honored Husband, I…"

"Quit calling me that!" Keitaro was fed up with that title, and he'd be damned if he'd ever let Motoko call him that again! "I liked it better when you were calling me 'bastard' and hitting me! At least that was honest."

"But Hono-"

"Please Motoko, if nothing else, don't call me that again. It doesn't suit either of us, and while were on the subject, why'd you smile like you were?"

"A wife should be happy for her husband, Ho-, Urashima."

"You weren't happy Motoko, at least be honest with yourself. Hell, why are we even married? That ceremony couldn't have been legal."

"A sad smile briefly flashed over Motoko's face. "Don't underestimate my sister, she'll find a way to make it legal, trust me Urashima."

"So we'll get a divorce, annul it, whatever."

"I don't think my sister would accept that. Tell me, do you like your head where it is?"

"Sure, why?"

"Then don't even think of trying that, Urashima." 'You're all that I have left now, and I'm terrified of losing that,' she silently added.

Keitaro rubbed the bridge of his nose, succeeding in getting blood all over his face. "Motoko, I promise you, I will find a way to make this right, which won't be fatal to either of us. Do I have to worry about you trying this again?"

"No, I swear it."

"Alright, then let's go inside, I think we need to clean up a bit." This was a bit of an understatement as the two of them were drenched in Keitaro's blood, and the blood loss in combination with the broken leg meant that Keitaro had a hard time walking. He was moderately surprised when Motoko placed his arm over her shoulder and helped him walk back to their room.

Quite unusually, the drama that had played out on the roof had been a private one, as no one had been awakened by the arguments, suicide attempt, or emotional breakdown afterwards. By unspoken agreement it was decided to keep the nights events a secret.

Motoko helped Keitaro into the washroom to look after his injuries, while she returned to their room. Since she had received no injuries, despite her most fervent efforts, she merely had to change clothes. Keitaro, however, spent 5 minutes bandaging his hands. 'Coulda been worse,' he realized, 'cuts weren't quite deep enough to cut tendons, they just bled heavily.' After cleaning his wounds and bandaging his hands, Keitaro looked at himself in the mirror. 'Sorry Naru. I've got to help Motoko now. I'll find a way to make it up to you,' he thought as he washed the blood from his face.

Once the clean-up was complete, Keitaro limped back to the room. He found Motoko sitting up on her futon watching him closely. "Are you alright?" she inquired.

"Felt better, but I've also felt a lot worse," he replied.

"You're a good man Urashima." She chuckled, the first genuine sign of amusement since they returned. "I bet you never thought you'd hear me say those words, huh?"

Keitaro felt the corners of his mouth curl up slightly. "You're right, never did."

Motoko sighed, "well, I could have done worse for a husband, I suppose."

"I'm afraid I can't say the same about you," he replied. As he noticed her crestfallen look, he walked up to the futon and sat down on it. "What I meant is that I couldn't have picked a better wife if I spent five years looking."

Motoko stared at Keitaro in shocked silence. She then broke out into the warmest smile he had ever seen on her, and in a move that short-circuited his thought processes, reached over and hugged him fiercely. After a few moments of absolute immobility, he hugged her back, only not as tightly. 'She does feel nice, this wouldn't be too hard to get used to…' he then broke of the thought before it lost its 'G' rating.

As they separated, Motoko said, "Urashima, could… could… could you just hold me? Please?"

Keitaro thought about his response for perhaps 5 seconds before giving his answer. "All right, if you wish," he said. He wasn't sure who his heart belonged to, but he figured Naru was probably higher on the list. But he would hold her, and do whatever was necessary to comfort her. As Motoko rested her head on his chest and he wrapped his arms around her, he found himself wondering what he'd be able to do about the marriage and what the two of them wanted. He suspected that they both weren't being completely honest with each other, but he'd worry about that later`. Tomorrow he would begin to work to solve the dilemma they were in, and that meant tracking down and talking with Tsuruko, but tonight…

Tonight, he'd hold a woman he did care for, although he wasn't quite sure how, in his arms and let her take some comfort and security from him and maybe he'd take the same from her. "Sleep well Motoko, I promise I'll make this right."

"I know. I believe you Uras… Keitaro. Good night," she responded drowsily.

As he drifted off, Keitaro wondered what the future would bring. If the future had told him, it's possible that he wouldn't have believed it.

End Chapter One

Once again, thanks to everyone for the feedback. I will keep writing and finish this story, but it's gonna get busy at work soon. There's a sick King Air with my name on it, and it needs a lot of TLC. Not certain when the next chapter will be out, but it will be sooner or later, just keep looking. If you're impatient, feel free to e-mail me with your encouragement.

Next Chapter: Unexpected Mercy, Unexpected Chances


	3. Chapter 2: Unexpected Mercy, Unexpected ...

Disclaimer: See Prologue.

Any comments, complaints, complements, flames, and credit card numbers can be sent to: hawker_748@hotmail.com Feedback and reviews would be greatly appreciated. 

I would like to thank all reviewers for the feedback that was provided. 

This fanfic is based on the manga and anime and borrows facets from both of them.

"*" Spoken words

'*' Thoughts

Love Hina

Loss and Redemption

Chapter Two: Unexpected Mercy, Unexpected Chance

By: hawker_748

When morning came to Hinata House, it was presented with a sight so unusual that if the sun had had a face, there would have been a series of brief eclipses as it blinked in surprise. The sight of Keitaro and Motoko sleeping next to each other was not a new occurrence anymore, as it had been happening for a week by now. What was new was the sight of them locked together in a tight embrace, Motoko resting her head on Keitaro's chest and with his arms wrapped around her. Both were clothed and there was no evidence of any 'activity', but the sight of them in such an intimate setting would have caused the other residents' jaws to hit the floor with enough force to register on the Richter scale.

'Mmmm, nice,' Keitaro thought to himself as his mental capacities slowly brought themselves back on-line as he reluctantly emerged from slumber. At this early in the morning, Keitaro had no idea where he was, or why he felt so comfortable. All that his mind was aware of was that he felt very calm and at peace. He increased the force of his embrace slightly, inadvertently starting Motoko on her path to consciousness. 

'So secure,' thought Motoko, as she nuzzled up to what she was sleeping on. However, unlike Keitaro, Motoko was able to get herself up to speed in just a few moments. 'What am I holding?' Recollection hit her like a hammer, as she realized exactly who was holding her. Motoko lurched back and tore herself from Keitaro's arms, waking him up completely in the process.

"Motoko? What's goin' on? Wh-what happened?" Keitaro mumbled as his brain finished firing up the last couple of neurons. Belatedly, he remembered what had happened the night before, and how he had ended up in an embrace with his reluctant wife. He colored slightly as he recalled how nice it had felt to hold her. He was thankful that the blankets were concealing a common waking occurrence for males from Motoko. 

"Is anything wrong?"

"No Hono-, Urashima, I-I-I was just a little startled, that's all." She noticed that Keitaro was favoring his arms, "was it uncomfortable?"

"No, my arms just fell asleep, I think I was holding you all night," he replied as his blush deepened slightly. "Are you sure you're alright? I mean, last night-,"

"I'm fine!" Motoko snapped. Her expression softened slightly, "well, not really, but I promise you, you don't have to worry about a repeat of last night. If you'll excuse me, I have to prepare breakfast," she said as she turned to leave. She was stopped dead in her tracks when Keitaro reached up and grabbed her wrist.

"You don't have to Motoko, Shinobu can do it just fine, and she seems to be upset that you're taking her place."

"In more ways than one," she murmured quietly before adding, "but it's my duty as a wife to do this."

"We may or may not be married, but that doesn't mean you have to be someone you're not. There's no need to change so dramatically."

Motoko reflected on his words for a few moments before she responded. "I'll try, but I don't know. My whole life has been turned upside down."

"We both have. Let's just see what we can do about it."

"O.K."

***

Breakfast wasn't as tense as it had been for the previous week. The tension was still there, but the air didn't crackle with nervous energy, it was merely uncomfortable. 

There was even consideration beyond requests for things to be passed, although the conversations were heavily muted. Actual eye contact was possible; the previous week a group of complete strangers could have been substituted for any of the residents and nobody would have noticed. Even the food seemed to taste better, although that was more likely due to Shinobu having taken back cooking duties for that morning. 

There had been conversations, but they had been muted, and only between certain people; Naru and Kitsune; Sarah, Su and Shinobu; Keitaro and Motoko. This continued until Naru spoke up and announced, "I'm going to be leaving Hinata House for a while and go visit my family for a while, perhaps for a month or two."

"Naru-sempai why?" asked Shinobu.

"I need to get away, clear my head, avoid all the distractions around here," she replied and hit Keitaro and Motoko with a glare. Both Keitaro and Motoko flinched slightly. The look in her eyes cooled any ardor for protesting her decision.

"When will you leave," asked Kitsune.

"Today, in about an hour. If you'll excuse me, thank you for the wonderful meal Shinobu," Naru finished as she pushed away from the table and walked back up to her room to finish packing. A stunned silence reigned in the wake of her departure.

"We, we have to do something, we can't just let her-" babbled Shinobu.

"Let her go," interrupted Kitsune, "and don't try to follow her either. Do you understand Su?"  

"Okies, I'll stay here," Su pouted.

"I mean it, don't try to stop her. I think the time away may help her get over everything that's happened." She looked towards Keitaro and said, "There's just too much weirdness around here."

Keitaro's thoughts were in a shamble at the news of Narus imminent departure. 'Naru, you don't have to go, I need you, I'll straighten this Motoko mess out and we can be together!' He was already mentally chasing after her, begging her to stay.

Then a new and different train of thought started. 'I can't leave Motoko, who knows what'll happen!' He stopped cold at that, and almost unwillingly continued the train of thought. 'Naru is at least stable, worry about Motoko for now, you promised you would!' 

He frowned inwardly. 'Promise. That word gets me into so much goddamn trouble! I'll never promise anything again for as long as I live, even if I live to be 300!' he silently vowed. 

'Naru…' he thought miserably, 'why does this always happen to us?'

'Let her go, for now. We'll fix this up when you get back. I'd better start mending fences around here, or I won't be welcome anymore. Better start with Shinobu.'

He got up from the table, picked up his plate and walked over to where Shinobu was seated. "Shinobu, may I help you with the clean up?"

Shinobu blushed a brilliant shade of crimson and stammered, "su-sure sempai!" With that Shinobu began picking up the remains of the food, while Keitaro started to collect the dirty dishes and bring them in to the kitchen.

As Keitaro washed the dishes and passed them to Shinobu to dry he asked, "so what do you think of all of this?"

"What, sempai?"

"Naru leaving, Motoko and I getting married."

Shinobu tensed up slightly and her small hands tightened into fists. "I don't know what to think sempai," she muttered. "I don't understand this at all."

What do you mean Shinobu?" Keitaro asked as he scrubbed a stubborn stain off one of the pots.

"I thought you and Motoko hated each other, why are you married?" Shinobu asked with a lot more force in her voice than she intended. At this point her façade of acceptance was starting to crumble and she was forced to face the prospect that Keitaro would never be hers.

Keitaro sighed and once again imagined throwing his grandmother to the sharks. He knew that Shinobu was upset, but he was still in the dark about her feelings for him. "It isn't that simple Shinobu, it's not like we decided to run away and get married. We were forced into it, and I don't even think it's sunk in yet, for either of us. I still can't believe that Motoko sleeps next to me each night."

This attempt to make Shinobu feel better backfired horribly. She was reminded yet again that Motoko was unwillingly sleeping in a place that she would have given anything to accommodate. Her latent jealousy came boiling to the surface and she realized that she was angrier towards Motoko than she had ever been towards anyone in her life. 'Why doesn't she appreciate him? Why doesn't she LOVE him? Why couldn't it be ME!?'

Shinobu blinked quickly to try to stove off the tears that were threatening to erupt any second. Her knuckles went white from the force of her clenching her fists. This went unnoticed by Keitaro as she was holding a towel, waiting for a dish to dry. "Why are you with her if you don't like her?" Shinobu asked stiffly.

"We don't hate each other, we just don't always see eye to eye, that's all."

"I thought you loved Naru!" At this point Shinobu was nearly shouting.

'I do, at least I think I do,' thought Keitaro miserably. Out loud he replied, "Motoko and I didn't want to get married," 'at least I don't think so,' "we were forced into it and now she's honor bound to stay with me."

To burn off some of the nervous energy that had built up Keitaro continued washing the dished so he wouldn't fidget with his hands. He took a moment to collect his thoughts. "I wish things were back the way they were before this happened, Shinobu. Things were simpler then. I was single then."

'I had a chance then,' Shinobu silently added.

"I'm going to try and figure a way out of this for both of us, but I'm not sure how it will work or how long it will take," Keitaro continued.

Shinobu didn't know what to think. She had an earth-shattering crush on Keitaro, and was jealous of anyone, even Naru, being close to him. She was grudgingly accepting of Naru, but the idea of anyone but her and to a lesser extent Naru being with Keitaro made her heart ache. 

On the other hand she knew that he was a good man, and wouldn't willingly do anything to hurt anyone. If he said that he was trying to find a way out, she'd believe in him. It also meant that Motoko wasn't stealing him away, and that maybe she needed some support as well. 

Besides, if this all worked out the way Keitaro planned, he wouldn't be married to Motoko anymore. He would be more available, more 'free.' There was still Naru, but with only one obstacle then maybe, just maybe, she'd have a…

Shinobu terminated that train of thought with extreme prejudice. 'Think about that later, after this has all been resolved! For now, just be there for sempai.'

She decided to stop actively avoiding the two of them, but she wasn't sure that she could completely trust them for a while. "O.K. sempai, thank you for the help, and I hope that everything works out for you."

"Thanks, Shinobu. Actually, I'm going to be leaving for a few days myself."

"Why sempai?" Shinobu asked as her eyes began to moisten.

"I'm going to try to find Motoko's sister, see if I can change her mind. But I need you to promise not to tell anyone where I'm going, I don't want Motoko to know what I'm doing, she might get upset."

Shinobu's eyes dried up a little. "Please be careful sempai."

"I will."

"When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow. Can you please make sure that everyone is alright after I'm gone?"

"Yes sempai!"

"Thank you Shinobu, now let's finish up this kitchen."

***

Naru's departure caused mixed feelings for Keitaro. Torture in that she was leaving, that he hadn't been able to talk to her, clarify his feelings for her, and because they were parting on such bad terms. But ironically, there was also relief from the fact that she was leaving. 

There'd be fewer distractions for him while he attempted to sort out the situation with Motoko, and when she came back the trouble would probably be over, and they could try to patch things up again.

Even the way that she left was abrupt, she had stopped by everyone's room, Motoko and his being the exception, said goodbye and bolted. 'Couldn't you have at least said goodbye?' he wondered. 'I'm hurting too, can't you realize that? I have to help Motoko. I'd be chasing you now if I could.'

'At least with her gone I can focus all of my attention on dealing with Motoko. And while I'm on that subject…' Keitaro continued reviewing what he'd say to Tsuruko the next time he saw her, assuming he could find her. 'I hope she wants to be found, because I don't think I'll be able to track her down otherwise.'

"Urashima, is something wrong? You've been inside our room for hours," his wife asked him.

'Here we go,' thought Keitaro, 'I hate lying, but I think it's the only way I can do this.' "No, there's nothing wrong, but I'm going to have to leave for a few days myself."

An entirely foreign and unexpected emotion suddenly made itself known to Motoko: jealousy. Surprised and a little disturbed she asked, with a little force than she might have used otherwise, "Are you going after Naru?"

"No. NO! I'm just going to visit my family and tell them what's happened." 'After all, Tsuruko is my sister in law now, isn't she? She's family.'

Relief flooded through Motoko upon hearing his answer. Surprised at its intensity, she acted quickly to try and prevent Keitaro from figuring out what she had been thinking. A question popped into her mind so quickly she vocalized it without thinking, "can I come with you?"

"Excuse me?" replied Keitaro.

"Can I come with you to see your family?"

Keitaro felt a couple of sweat drops bead on his forehead. As nonchalantly as he could he asked, "why do you want to?"

"Aren't they my family now? It would be the right thing to meet them. I am your wife, after all." Her voice had a hint of steel in it that reminded Keitaro of the Motoko of old. In any other circumstances Keitaro would have been thrilled to see Motoko acting like her old self, but since he was attempting to deceive her, he was more than a little worried. 

"Yes, that's true but I-I think it would be better if we let them get over the shock first before they meet you," Keitaro replied. 'I don't want you to know that I saw your sister behind your back, and I don't want you to try and stop me,' he silently added.

His answer seemed to mollify Motoko slightly but she still felt some tendrils of suspicion towards her husband. She decided to switch to a different topic. 

"When will you leave?"

"Tomorrow morning. I'll be back in a few days at most."

She nodded in understanding. She then fired off one last question, "what will you tell them? About us I mean?"

"That I'm married now. My wife is gorgeous, intelligent, charming and athletic. Quite honestly, I don't deserve someone as wonderful as her." He responded without any hesitation or doubt in his voice. 

Motoko's lips curled up slightly at that and she walked out of the room to take care of some chores. Keitaro noticed that she was standing a little prouder than she had been when she walked in.

***

The next morning, after he had said his goodbyes to the other residents and asked Kitsune to make sure that everything was taken care of during his absence, Keitaro boarded the bus for the ride to the train station. 'Guess I'll go back where this started and fan out from there,' he mused, 'can't think of a better place to start. I couldn't get information from Motoko without giving the game away.' He sighed, 'the price of dishonesty, I suppose.'

"Hey Keitaro! How ya doin'?" Surprised at hearing his name, Keitaro looked up and saw…

"Haitani! Shirai! What are you two doing here?"

"Just hanging out," replied Haitani. "How are things-" he broke off when he and Shirai suddenly noticed the gold band that he was wearing on his left hand.

"Keitaro, is that a wedding ring?" asked Shirai quietly. Keitaro just nodded in response. A period of silence ensued, broken by,

"Keitaro you lucky bastard! Congratulations man!" exclaimed Haitani.

"Do you believe this guy? He gets married and doesn't even invite us to the ceremony or the bachelor party!" added Shirai. "So who's the poor girl, Naru or Mutsumi?"

Keitaro hung his head low and whispered, "Motoko."

"Say what? Mind repeating that?"

"Motoko," he replied with a little more volume.

"Motoko," deadpanned Shirai. "Couple of inches taller than you, few years younger, long black hair, carries that oversized cheese knife with her. That Motoko?"

"Yes."

"How in the name of hell did that happen?" demanded Haitani.

"We lost a challenge and we were forced to marry," replied Keitaro.

"So now what?" asked Shirai.

"I'm trying to find the person who forced this to happen and change her mind."

"So you and Motoko aren't staying together? Is she that bad or are you that hung up on Naru?" wondered Haitani.

"Being with Motoko wouldn't be so bad but we had no choice in the matter. As for Naru, she's rather upset with me now."

Both Haitani and Shirai nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I can imagine that," Haitani admitted.

Keitaro looked up and realized where he was. "This is my stop, I gotta go guys. Catch you later," he called out as he stepped of the bus.

Back on the bus, Shirai looked at Haitani and said, "that guy gets in the most trouble, doesn't he?"

"Yep," Haitani replied, "let's hope he can get himself outta this one."

***

The train ride had been long but uneventful, and Keitaro was able to find a place to stay for the night. 'No point wandering around in the dark with this leg,' he reasoned, "I'll start trying to follow Tsuruko tomorrow.'

The following morning Keitaro made his way to scene of the battle. It was fresh in his mind and he spent some time wondering if there had been any other tactic that could have changed the outcome. After drawing a blank, he casually started looking around and wondering, 'where do I begin?'

"Keitaro Urashima."

Keitaro nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard the voice from behind him. He whipped around and was astonished to see Tsuruko standing behind him. 

"Surprised to see me I assume?" Tsuruko asked with a smile.

"Where in the hell did you come from!?" shrieked Keitaro. "Damn it, I almost had a heart attack!" He had looked behind him not 5 seconds earlier. He would have bet his life that no one was there. 

"That's not my fault," replied Tsuruko.

"How do you DO that?"

"That's for me to know and you to learn. I was expecting you to show up Urashima," Tsuruko stated. "The fact you're here shows that my impressions about you weren't wrong."

"What impressions? What are you talking about?"

She ignored the questions. "Why are you here Urashima?" she asked as she began to slowly circle him.

'Like a shark,' he realized. Gathering all of his courage he replied, "I came to try and find you."

"Why?"

"To get you to end this marriage. To let Motoko back into the Shinmei School."

"Why? I always felt that she needed someone to settle down with. She's never had a boyfriend before, and now she has a husband she can settle down with. It must be a dream come true for her."

'More like a nightmare.' "This isn't right, the two of us don't belong together!"

"So she's not worthy of you?"

"I'm not worthy of her! She doesn't deserve this, she deserves the chance to be warrior again!"

"It is our way, it is our tradition. Why are you, an outsider, trying to interfere in our business?"

"It's killing her! You ripped away everything that she ever cared about! She's so committed to honor and tradition she's going to ignore the fact that the marriage can't possibly be legal. She's willing to die by degrees rather than go against your wishes. You're her sister, how could you do this to her?" Keitaro was dizzy at the thought of standing up to Tsuruko but he had to do it for Motoko. He would never forget that night on the roof. His hands still bore the injuries.

Tsuruko's smile grew slightly wider. "So you think you know what is best for my sister?" she said as she stepped right up to him, easily violating his personal space. "You believe that you know what is the best way for her to live and behave?"

"What? What are you talking about?"

Tsuruko walked away from him until she was thirty feet away and turned back to face him. "You would prefer it if my sister acted more like this?" she called out as she launched a massive ki attack towards Keitaro.

Keitaro saw the strike coming and froze. As he stared at the onrushing wave he went weak in the knees and started to collapse. This happened to cause him to fall on his ass and have the wave scream by him.

A small voice in the back of his head congratulated him for urinating earlier.

"Wait a second, I didn't mean anything like this!" Keitaro shouted desperately.

Tsuruko saw that her first attack had missed and fired off another one. "Or perhaps some thing like this?" 

As Keitaro sat there trying to get his bearings back, the second strike raced towards him. He clumsily clambered out of the way, wailing like a little girl. The first miss had made him think that he had dodged out of the way of a bullet train. As the second one screamed over him, he felt like he'd just missed getting nailed by a low flying F-15. 

'What the hell's going on? I didn't ask for this!' his mind raged as movement caught his eye. He looked up and saw…

"Final Blow!"

…Tsuruko, on the downward portion of her leap, blade over head, and descending fast. Since it would be an exercise in futility, he made a conscious effort to not put up his arms in a defensive posture. As the blade neared his throat time stopped, and the blade just hung there in the air, poised above his throat.

After what seemed like an eternity but was probably only about 3 seconds, Keitaro realized that time hadn't stopped, the blade had. "I-I'm alive?" he questioned weakly.

"Congratulations Urashima, you have exceeded even my expectations," Tsuruko replied as she lifted the sword clear of his throat.

After a few moments of just laying there, stunned beyond movement, Keitaro slowly got to his feet. "What in the hell are you talking about?" he rasped.

With a clinical look, a cold smile, and a brief gleam in the eyes, Tsuruko replied, "if I had thought you to be unworthy of my sister, I would not have allowed you to be with her, Urashima." 

Keitaro felt his eyes narrow. "Then why-?" he managed to get out before Tsuruko interrupted him.

"I sense potential in you Urashima, and I will not easily see it wasted. You just demonstrated incredible bravery in facing me, and in daring to find me as well. You are also capable of great compassion. Your injured your hands helping Motoko correct?"

"Yeah, you could say that," he guardingly replied.

"From the location of the cuts, I would venture that you prevented my sister from killing herself with her sword." Keitaro face was a perfect caricature of shock when she said that. 

She leaned in close to him, almost sneering in his face. "Why would you do something that foolish?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"You heard me. Why save the life of my sister, she made the decision on her own, correct?" 

Keitaro felt his blood briefly turn to ice, and then burn with a fire he'd never experienced before. "How can you say that about your own sister?!" Keitaro shouted.

"Excellent, you are capable of displaying spine as well. You continue to exceed my expectations Urashima." 

Tsuruko turned and walked over to a rock and from behind it pulled out a sizable duffel bag. She then walked back over and handed it to Keitaro. "Take this Urashima, do NOT open it, and take it to my sister. She will open it and your curiosity about the bag will be satisfied. I will say this, that the contents of that bag have the potential to make everything well for you and my sister." She then turned and started to walk away. 

"Hey! You think this is over, that this bag will solve everything?!"

She looked over her shoulder and said, "No, I merely said it had the potential to. The rest is up to the two of you." She turned back and walked away, leaving a confused Keitaro alone with his thoughts and the bag.

'Now what?' he thought to himself. 'I'm glad to be alive now, but I still don't have a clue what to do. I'm still married to Motoko, she's still banished, and Naru's still pissed.' He briefly considered looking in the bag, Tsuruko be damned, but he thought better of it. 'I'll see it soon enough anyway and I'm not certain I'd live to tell about it if I opened it.' He picked it up, 'at least it's light,' and started walking back to the train station.

"Well, let's see what happens now," he said to himself, "it's time to go home." He continued walking, with the noonday sun looking down on him like an unwavering sentry. As he walked his thoughts were mainly of what had just happened and how he could defend his actions to his spouse. "Hope she's as forgiving of insult as Tsuruko," he said with a humorless laugh as he continued his journey home, where an uncertain future awaited him.

End Chapter 2

OMAKE! OMAKE! OMAKE! OMAKE!

As soon as Tsuruko was out of sight, Keitaro stopped walking, sat down on a rock and opened the bag. 'Let's see, scented candles, a dozen long stemmed red roses, chocolate covered strawberries, oysters? What the hell?' Keitaro's eye began to twitch violently.

He continued to empty the bag. 'Bottle of Dom Peringion, Barry White CD, Marvin Gaye CD,' he held up a small plastic bottle and examined it. 'What the hell's 'Astroglide?'' 

He pulled out a shiny gold box tied with a bow. 'Who's Frederick, and what's this box doing here if he's from Hollywood?' He opened it, and turned the color of a ripe tomato. 'Is this an eye patch?'

With a now shaking hand Keitaro removed the last of the bags contents. 'A copy of the Kama Sutra?! Handcuffs?! A ball gag?! Cat o' nine tails!?' "Aauuugghh!" Keitaro's scream was heard for miles.

After the echo died away, Tsuruko shook her head in disgust. "The fool. I told him it was for Motoko."

End Omake.

Special thanks to Harvey Bautista for the pre-read and for giving me the idea for the omake.

The next chapter is in the works, but I'm not sure when it will be posted. Real life does interfere with writing from time to time. Hopefully, not more than two weeks, but I make no promises.

Coming Soon: Chapter Three: Returns and Repercussions


	4. Chapter 3: Returns and Repercussions

Disclaimer: See Prologue.

Any comments, complaints, complements, flames, and credit card numbers can be sent to: hawker_748@hotmail.com Feedback and reviews would be greatly appreciated. 

Once again, I would like to thank all reviewers for the feedback that was provided. 

This fanfic is based on the manga and anime and borrows facets from both of them.

"*" Spoken words

'*' Thoughts

Love Hina

Loss and Redemption

Chapter Three: Returns and Repercussions

By: hawker_748

When Keitaro walked back into Hinata House that evening the residents were quite surprised. "Sempai! You're back! Is something wrong?" asked Shinobu.

"Yeah," Kitsune added, "you weren't supposed to be back for a couple of days."

"No, nothing's wrong. It just went quicker than I thought it would, that's all," he replied.

At this point Motoko walked into the living room, saw Keitaro standing there and her face lit up in happiness. She then realized that he probably hadn't seen much of his family in such a short time. In the blink of an eye the expression changed to something approaching suspicion.

Keitaro saw Motoko standing there and called out to her. "Ah, Motoko, can I talk to you in private?"

Her frown increased ever so slightly. Without even bothering to hide the suspicion in her voice she replied, "Certainly. What's this about?" 

Keitaro gestured for her to follow him. "Wait till we get to our room." The two of them went down the hall and entered their room. Once inside, Motoko made a point of locking the door behind her.

"Which family member did you go see Urashima?" Motoko asked, her tone showing dissatisfaction with him.

The sound of her voice put him on edge and he felt a powerful urge to be a little less easy with the truth. "My sister in-law," he replied.

Motoko paused for a second before she suddenly realized who Keitaro was referring to, in a round about way. Her eyes then opened wide and she cried out, "My sister?! You went to see Tsuruko?!" When he nodded meekly in reply she shouted, "Why?"

"To try to change her mind, to re-instate you into the Shinmei School," he replied in a placating tone while making warding gestures with his hands. "You should keep your voice down, or do you want Kitsune and the others to hear?"

Motoko paused as she considered that. She then went into a drawer and pulled out two knives. With two deceptively powerful flicks of her wrists she sent the knives flying. One went towards the wall that was opposite to Kitsune's room and embedded hilt deep into the wall. The other knife did the same to the room door. Various sounds of surprise and fright rang out on the other sides of the walls.

"No eavesdropping!" shouted Motoko, and there were the sounds of people scurrying away from their listening posts. "That's better," she commented with a sense of satisfaction in her voice.  "Now, why did you do something so foolish?"

Keitaro, in a state of shock from the display, and hoping that she didn't have any more knives in that drawer, took a few seconds before he was able to produce a coherent answer. "To try to help you, to get your life back for you." 

"And how did she react?"

"Aside from nearly scaring me to death? I wasn't able to change her mind, you're still not a member of the Shinmei School, and she still considers us to be married."

"That's all?" Motoko replied, her voice a study in confusion

"And she gave me this bag to give to you," Keitaro said as he handed Tsuruko's mysterious bag to Motoko.

Motoko accepted the bag with a puzzled look. She set it down on the floor and unzipped it. There was long package and a couple of envelopes inside. Surprisingly, the package had Keitaro's name on it, so Motoko passed it over to him. She then passed over the envelope with his name on it and the message "Open the package first."

Unsure of what Tsuruko was attempting to accomplish, Keitaro opened the parcel cautiously. He was astonished to discover that the package contained a katana that was obviously old, but had been lovingly maintained to a like new condition. He unsheathed it carefully and observed his reflection in the curved blade. After a few seconds of contemplation he re-sheathed the weapon and gingerly set it on the floor and opened the envelope.

The letter inside read:

_Keitaro Urashima,_

_If you are reading this, then I have judged that you would make a worthy husband for Motoko._

_When I first meet you I was struck by the feeling that you had inside you a hidden ability, some talent that was so under-utilized that it was in danger of disappearing. As time went on this feeling grew ever stronger and I came to realize that you, Keitaro Urashima, former third-year ronin, and generally clueless individual, are destined for great things. I do not make this claim lightly, for I have observed you carefully and for you to be reading this you must have done something that finally tipped the scales in your favor._

_While you are reading this, Motoko is reading a letter that I have written for her. She will show you what I have written to her but you are not, I repeat NOT, to show her this letter or divulge its contents to her. To do so will have serious consequences, I assure you._

_Motoko's letter has a method for her to regain her status in the Shinmei School. However, for her to be accepted back in, there is a commitment you must make as well. If you decide to not accept the terms of that letter, then so be it. I will make no more such offers and any more attempts on your part afterward to renege on the agreement will…not amuse me. Other than that, I will not make any efforts to influence your lives and I will genuinely wish the two of you a long and happy life together._

_If you do accept the offer that I have described to her, then prepare yourself. You will be pushed harder than you have ever been pushed before. You will end up thinking that you got off easy in your last encounter with me. However, if you are up to this challenge, then the rewards could be greater than you ever imagined. You will discover just what you are capable of and what talents you have hidden inside of you. Once you have finished you may find that you have found something very precious. Something that you didn't even know you were looking for._

_Whatever your decision, Good Luck Urashima._

_Tsuruko Aoyama_

As soon as he finished reading the post-script he got up and placed the letter in his drawer. "Your sisters request," he said, responding to Motokos unspoken question. 

"I see. Read this Urashima," she replied, handing him the letter she had been reading. Keitaro noticed that Motoko had a look of excitement on her face that couldn't remember ever having seen before. He accepted it with a look of trepidation and then he started to read.

_Motoko, _

_I am certain that you are saddened and confused as to why I have forced this marriage upon you. I did it because I felt that your life was losing its focus, and that you needed something that would help you regain it. I chose Urashima because I believe that he would make an adequate husband for you. He seems compassionate, caring, and that he would try to make the best of any situation that he found himself in._

_However, if you are reading this, then Urashima has obviously displayed to me some level of courage and determination. I have decided that you can once again be a member of the Shinmei School on a probationary basis as an instructor for Urashima. In a years time I will return and challenge him to a duel. If I am satisfied by how well you have taught an absolute novice our school, then I will allow you to be fully re-instated as a member of the Shinmei School._

_This offer stands only if Urashima accepts the offer willingly. Any attempts to coerce him into this training means this offer will be null and void and you will lose the even the probational status that I have granted you._

_If he does not accept, or he fails to impress me in the duel, then I wish the two of you a long and happy marriage. If he does accept, and impresses me in one years time, then the marriage agreement will be lifted in addition to your re-instatement into our school._

_Good luck in the future sister, whatever path you end up walking._

_Tsuruko Aoyama_

_P.S.: Feel free to let Urashima read this letter after you are done with it._

Keitaro winced inwardly while he read the letter. 'Damn that woman!' She was placing all the responsibility of reinstating Motoko on his head. If he turned down the offer he'd be dooming Motoko to a life without hope of being what she once was, and he knew that if he attempted to persuade Tsuruko later he'd regret it. 

He looked over at Motoko and sure enough, she was watching him with a barely suppressed air of expectation, like a condemned man waiting for that final reprieve from the governor. There was the faintest ember in her eyes, which would burn brightest just before it finally died out…or it could be coaxed into flame. 

'You know what you must do, don't you?' his internal voice asked. 'Yes, gotta do this the right way.' He sat himself as best he could in a position indicating respect and said, "Motoko, would you please do me the honor of instructing me in the Shinmei School?"

Keitaro would never be able to remember exactly what had happened next. What he did recall was that one moment he was sitting down and in the blink of an eye he was six feet away from that starting point, on his back, staring at the ceiling, holding Motoko in his arms. 

As his startled senses tried to determine what in the HELL had just happened, he realized that Motoko was crying again, but this time they seemed to be tears of joy. She was also saying, "yes Keitaro, yes Keitaro, yes Keitaro," so quickly that she sounded like a CD player that had been placed in fast forward and then been hit with a power surge the equivalent of a lightning bolt.

Eventually Motoko regained her composure, let go of Keitaro, a fact he found more disappointing than he expected, and sat down formally. Keitaro pushed himself back up off the floor into a sitting position, shook his head to clear it, and faced Motoko.

"Urashima," she stated formally, "I will honor your request and instruct you in the ways of the Shinmei School. You do realize that this will involve a great deal of effort and sacrifice?"

'Yeah, your sister made that clear, although I don't know where she's coming from. I can barely handle a steak knife,' he thought. Out loud he said, "Yes I do, and I accept it if it will help you regain your life."

"Then we will begin tomorrow at dawn."

"Tomorrow?! But what about this?" he said, indicating his broken leg.

"When will your cast come off?"

"Little over two weeks."

"Excellent, there are many things that need to be learned before then."

"Like what?"

"Patience Urashima, all will be revealed soon. Remember, even though I am your wife, during lessons you must always address me as a superior."

"Alright, so do we tell the others?"

"I see no reason not to," she replied, her tone starting to sound more like the Motoko of old. "Unless your letter said we couldn't," she added.

Remembering the feel of Tsuruko's blade on his throat Keitaro replied, "no, nothing like that, can't talk about it though."

"I understand." She sighed deeply. "This will be difficult, I have only a year to turn you into a kendoist."

"Why are you worried, you already know all of this, I'm the poor bastard that's gotta learn it all in a year."

"I'm the one that has to shape that 'poor bastard' into something approaching a warrior," she responded with an even deeper sigh. "Look at the raw material I have to work with!"

"For what it's worth, you'll always get my maximum effort, I promise." 'So much for that stupid vow, I suppose,' he thought to himself.

"That's all I can ask for Urashima. You'll get mine as well."

Keitaro felt a distinct chill run down his spine. "Should I be worried about that?" he asked.

The faintest hint of a smile appeared on Motoko's face. "Yes," she answered.

'Oh hell.' "Well, on that note I think I'll go to bed. I think I'll need the sleep." Keitaro went to the bathroom and cleaned up for bed. As he walked out of the bathroom, Motoko walked in to complete her nightly preparations to go to sleep.

When she walked back to the bedroom a few minutes later she found Keitaro already in bed and trying to fall asleep. Without thinking about it, she started changing into the oversized t-shirt she wore to bed. The noise of her changing caused Keitaro to open his eyes and he was treated to a view of Motoko half undressed. Mesmerized by what he was seeing, he kept his eyes open.

This was quite different from the night where Motoko stripped as though for a medical exam. This night she was active, alive, and more like her old self. She was beautiful; there was no question about that. Her body was athletic, but there was no way that she could be considered unfeminine. She had long legs, a full set of curves, and the grace of a dancer. 

Keitaro then realized that he was peeping and closed his eye. However, he discovered that his cheeks were burning and he wondered if Motoko would notice.

Motoko was giddy with excitement, 'I have a chance to be a warrior again! I just have to train Keitaro…to the point that he impresses my sister.' Reality came crashing down on Motoko. 'Can I do this? I can sure try! I won't go down without giving it my best. If I succeed, I'm a warrior again, and this marriage will be over. 

That thought got Motoko thinking about Keitaro. 'He's clumsy, a little on the slow side, and can get into trouble by just being himself. He's hardly an ideal man. So why can't I stop wondering if being with him would be so bad? He's also compassionate, caring, determined, totally focused once he puts his mind to something, and even a little cute without the glasses. Even I admitted that he was a good man, and that being with him might be all right.'

'But to become what I once was, I may have to give him up.' Motoko frowned as she remembered what the letter had said. 'Sister, I have to choose don't I? You're going to make me choose between the sword and Keitaro. Between what I have always lived for, or someone I think I could care for deeply.' 

'Oh well, sacrifices have to be made for the art.' With this thought Motoko settled down and started to fall asleep. But even she would admit, if only to herself, that her last thought had sounded a little hollow in her ears. 

***

For many people, Keitaro included, mornings are not a time for celebration. They are to be cursed, hated and avoided if at all possible, struggling to gain even a few more precious moments of sleep. Alarm clocks can be slept through, the snooze button hit to the point of breaking. But some things are capable of rousing the even the deepest sleeper, such as a fire alarm, or an even more effective method, a liberal dousing with a bucket of ice water.

Keitaro had been in the middle of his usual dream involving him and his 'promise girl', but this time it had been a little different. Everything was going as per usual with the girl kissing him as they made the promise, when he noticed a shadowy figure behind the girl. He was about to walk over and investigate when the aforementioned bucket of ice water hit him.

Needless to say, Keitaro woke up.

"Augh!" he cried out in shock and surprise, his senses going from sound slumber to hyper alert in a flash. He then noticed Motoko standing over him, a suspiciously empty bucket in her hands and a stern expression on her face. "Motoko? What the hell are you-,"

"Sensei," she responded curtly. "You will address me as sensei. It is time for your first lesson Urashima."

Keitaro fumbled for his glasses, wiped the beads of water off them and got a good look at the clock. 'Four fuckin' thirty in the morning!?' his mind shrieked. "Are you nuts Motoko? You gotta- OW!" his last sentence was cut off when Motoko struck him over the head with the bucket.

"You will address me as sensei," she replied, a little more force in her voice this time. 

After taking in the coldness of her voice and the look in her eyes Keitaro decided that now was not the time to suggest a more civilized way of waking him up. Such as having a bugler play 'Reveille'. "No Motok-, sorry, sensei, I wasn't lying. But why so early?"

"There are only 24 hours in a day, I must use all the time that I can get to try to turn you into something approaching competence with a blade," she said. Her tone indicated that she believed this to be the stupidest question that had ever been uttered. "Now get up and get dressed. When you get that cast off we can get you some appropriate training clothing, but for now sweats and a t-shirt will suffice. Bring your blade and be on the roof in five minutes. Don't be late and don't make me come back to get you."

"Yes sensei," he stammered as Motoko strode out the room heading for the roof. 'Man, she wasn't kidding, was she?' Keitaro struggled to get dressed, having difficulty pulling on his sweats, picked up his blade and moved for the roof as quickly as he could. In the back of his mind he recalled what had happened the last time he'd run for the roof and he hoped it would turn out better this time. He also hoped that he didn't wake up the other residents. 'Somebody should get a good nights sleep, even if I don't.' He made it to the roof with about 15 seconds to spare.

Motoko was there with a stopwatch in hand, waiting for him to arrive. "Just in time Urashima." She motioned to the center of the roof and said, "sit down and face due east."

"Which way is that, Mo-sensei?" he inquired.

She pointed to her left, "that way. Now sit down and hold the blade in your hands. No, not by the handle, just hold it in both hands," she corrected after Keitaro had started to unsheathe the blade. "The first step in your training will be becoming familiar with the weight of a sword, so your first exercise will be to meditate on the blade and how its weight will affect your ability to use it. Do not think of trying to fall asleep Urashima, stay awake," she commanded.

"Yes sensei," he responded. 'Not what I expected really, although it'll probably get harder when this cast comes off,' he reflected. At that moment a new thought registered. 'Why didn't Tsuruko tell Motoko what she told me? Was she toying with me or Motoko? Or perhaps both of us? Probably me, '_destined for great things'_, my ass.'

'Still… the idea of me running around like Musashi is kind of cool, but I just have a hard time believing it.' The vision that entered his mind of him terrorizing the countryside with a sword was so outlandish to him that he almost broke out in laughter. Fortunately he was able, barely, to suppress it, a single fake cough all that was necessary to completely conceal his mirth.

"Open your eyes Urashima, your meditations are almost complete for today."

"Already sensei? How long has it been?"

"Approximately 90 minutes."

'That long? Didn't seem like it.' "Is the lesson over sensei?" he asked.

"Not quite. Just watch Urashima."

Keitaro did as he was told, looking forward wondering, 'what am I supposed to be watching?' His answer came moments later when the sun broached the horizon and began its methodical daily climb into the sky. It was the first sunrise that Keitaro had ever actually watched in the nearly 21 years of his life and it took his breath away. "Wow."

"Do you understand now Urashima? Do you realize what you are supposed to see?" Motoko asked.

"Yes, the sunrise. It's beautiful. I've never watched one before," he added.

"This is another reason that lessons start so early Urashima. The sunrise is supposed to inspire the students, and remind them that it is always darkest before the dawn." Motoko's voice lost some of its authority as she continued in a slightly more subdued manner. "I, I had forgotten that Urashima, and that's why I did what I did that night. I never did thank you for saving my life Urashima, I'm sorry. Thank you."

"You're welcome sensei, anything for a friend," he replied.

'Just a friend. Why can't I be more than just a friend?' she thought. "It's Motoko now, the lesson is over," she said softly.

"You're welcome Motoko." Keitaro got to his feet and sighed deeply. "Can I do it? Do I honestly have a hope in hell of impressing your sister?" he inquired in a voice that betrayed what he thought their chances were.

"We'll see, it depends how well you do when the cast comes off."

Both of them pondered the possible outcome in a years time. Neither was too optimistic on their chances for success.

"Let's get cleaned up and eat, Urashima."

"O.K."

***

The breakfast was going slightly better than normal, even with one resident missing. There was a little more conversation than there had been the previous week, although it was still subdued compared to a normal day at Hinata House. The conversation ceased when Sarah piped up with, "so Keitaro, what were you and Motoko doin' on the roof this mornin'?" 

She had placed special emphasis on the word 'doin'.

Shinobu's hands flew to her mouth and tears formed in her eyes.

Kitsune spat out the tea she was drinking and her eyes opened up wide.

Su looked nonplussed, as if she was trying to figure out what the big deal was.

Keitaro's eyebrows began to twitch violently.

An explosion of comments seemed to be imminent but it was halted when Motoko said, "I was teaching him kendo, that's all."

A pregnant pause followed, until Kitsune broke it. "Teaching him kendo? Why?"

"Tsuruko said that if I can impress her in a year's time then Motoko can rejoin the Shinmei School and the marriage will be annulled," replied Keitaro.

"You think you can beat her?" scoffed Sarah.

"No I don't, but I can sure as hell try my best to impress her," replied Keitaro.

"Sempai, you mean if you succeed, you won't be married to Motoko?" queried Shinobu.

"Yes."

"O.K. then. G-good luck sempai!" 'If, if he does it, I still have a chance with him! I'll be another year older and…' Shinobu blushed redder than a strawberry as she considered that thought.

'Just when I think I've got this situation figured out, something like this happens,' Kitsune mused while shaking her head.  True, Keitaro and Motoko would be working to end this arrangement, but they'd be training together, living together, growing closer…Naru could have come between them easily enough, but she wasn't here to do that.

Naru was her friend, but there was only so much that Kitsune could do to try and keep Keitaro and Motoko apart. The most effective thing she could have done would have been to make a move on Keitaro to try and keep him occupied until Naru returned, but she couldn't do that to her best friend. 

'Besides, the way things go around here, I'd probably end up falling for him for real, and that's a headache I don't need. I've already got enough as it is! Dammit Naru, why'd you leave? There's a golden opportunity to win him back and you're not here to exploit it!' 

Kitsune realized that the mood at the table had lightened up significantly. To hide what she was thinking she cried out, "That goes for me too, good luck Keitaro!"

"Thanks, we'll need it." There was a moment of confusion as Keitaro and Motoko realized that they had both said that in almost perfect synchronization. Then the two of them smiled and shared a brief laugh.

This wasn't lost on Shinobu, who now wondered if she was in a new uphill battle for Keitaro's affection.

Su spoke up for the first time since the explanation was given. "Su's going to help Keitaro! I'll create some training equipment, power exo-skeletons, anti sword weapons…"

"Wait Su," Keitaro interrupted. "I have to do this with a sword, using those would be cheating. Although… some exercise machines might be useful."

"I'm on it! You'll be Mr. Universe by next year!" Keitaro had problems believing that although the mental image of him all muscular brought a faint smile to his face.

"Thank you, thank you all. I'm going to work as hard as I can, and I won't be able to do it without your support."

"Anything for our beloved landlord!" cheered Kitsune. She hoisted a glass in a toast. "To the duel, and a second chance!"

"To the duel!" the other residents answered back, even Sarah.

And with that, the smothering tension that had befallen Hinata House was blown away as if by a strong breeze. There would be many trials and tribulations to come, but for now at least, things were getting back to what passed for normal in the residence.

End Chapter Three.__

Coming Soon: Chapter Four: Discipline and Tenderness

Yet again, special tip of the hat to Harvey Bautista for pre-reading this thing. Any grammar, spelling, or logic errors are mine, not his.


	5. Chapter 4: Discipline and Tenderness

Disclaimer: See Prologue.

Any comments, complaints, complements, flames, and credit card numbers can be sent to: hawker_748@hotmail.com Feedback and reviews would be greatly appreciated. 

Once again, I would like to thank all reviewers for the feedback that was provided. 

This fanfic is based on the manga and anime and borrows facets from both of them.

"*" Spoken words

'*' Thoughts

Love Hina

Loss and Redemption

Chapter Four: Discipline and Tenderness

By: hawker_748

**LIME CONTENT WARNING!**

For the next two weeks Keitaro and Motoko spent the early morning on the annex rooftop, with Motoko either directing him in meditation or teaching him the correct way to hold a blade. Getting up at 4:30 in the morning never got any easier, even with a bucket of cold water for an alarm clock. Eventually, Keitaro started waking up earlier, managing to avoid the bucket. One morning he even managed to wake up before Motoko. He was tempted to wake her in the same manner that she had awakened him but he figured that he didn't need a new cast.

On the day that the cast was scheduled to come off, Motoko decided that there wouldn't be a morning lesson since he'd need sleep for what she had planned for that day. After breakfast the two of them walked to the doctors office and the cast was removed without incident. As soon as it was off Keitaro immediately started scratching the itch that he hadn't been able to reach for far too long, sighing in blessed relief as he did so.

The two of them returned to Hinata House, Keitaro getting accustomed to walking with two healthy legs once again. Once back inside, Motoko gestured for him to follow her. They walked into their room and Motoko retrieved a package from the closet.

"A small token to celebrate your recovery," she said as she passed it to him.

"Um, thanks Motoko," he replied with a hint of embarrassment. Remembering what had occurred the last time he had accepted a package from an Aoyama, Keitaro opened the package with a hint of unease. He was relieved to discover that there were no letters inside. There was only clothing and he pulled it out to reveal it was, "A hakama and gi?" he asked, the confusion apparent in his voice.

"Yes. 'Proper training clothing.' Don't you remember?" she asked.

"Yeah, I remember now," he said. "Mind stepping out so I can try this on?"

"Do I have to?" she asked, the barest hint of a smile on her face.

"Yes, if you don't mind."

"You're no fun," she pouted as she walked out the door. 'Oh well, at least I'll finally see him in a kendo outfit.'

After the door closed, Keitaro shook his head at the strangeness of what had just happened. The outfit was identical to Motoko's in all but size. He put it on and discovered that it was a perfect fit. He found himself admiring the feel of the outfit and standing a little taller because of it. At this point Motoko re-entered, without knocking, gave him a quick once over and nodded in approval.

"Very nice, at least you look the part now."

"Thank you. It fits perfectly, how'd you know my sizes?" he inquired.

"I, I looked through some of your other clothes," she replied with a hint of a blush.

"I see," he replied slowly. Can you excuse me again, I need to take it off."

"No."

"What?"

"You must wear that from now on as much as possible. It will help you to think of yourself as a kendoist."

"You mean I gotta wear this thing in public?"

Motoko's eyes narrowed slightly at that question, causing Keitaro to flinch. "-I- wear that 'thing' in public. Am I doing something wrong?" she asked with more than just a hint of frost on her voice.

"No, no, no! I'm just a little surprised that's all." 

"How does your leg feel?" she asked with a hint of displeasure in her voice.

"A little odd without the cast, but I'm glad its gone."

"Feel up to little exercise?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Excellent. We'll go for a little run."

"How little?"

"About three miles" It was clear that it was not a suggestion or a request. "You'll need to improve your endurance."

The two of them walked out of the room and headed downstairs and out the door. Keitaro had a feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach in anticipation of what this 'little run' would be like. 'I was right, it just got harder.' After taking a deep breath he started a slow jog, hampered by the unfamiliar footwear he was wearing. After getting down the stairs and turning to his right, he looked to his left and saw Motoko easily keeping pace, a contemptuous look on her face. 

"Faster Urashima! I'll cut you some slack today because you just had a cast removed, but you'd better pick up the pace! Keep up with me or else!" She then increased her pace slightly and pulled ahead.

'A lot harder,' Keitaro thought despondently. He increased his pace to match hers but there were several factors working against him.

Motoko was a well-trained, well-conditioned martial artist, while he had spent several years just studying. While he had worked digs at Parakelese, there hadn't been much running involved. She was also taller than him and naturally had a longer stride. Finally, and most importantly, pride was on the line. She may have cared for Keitaro, and maybe even had romantic feelings for him, but she'd be damned if she'd let him beat her. All of this conspired to allow Keitaro first hand experience of what hell was like.

Every stride sent shockwaves from the balls of his feet all the way up to his lower back. It felt like the pavement was kicking the bottom of his foot with every step. His lungs were burning and tired from the exertion of trying to supply his muscles with oxygen. Breathing was further hampered as phlegm was building up in his throat, causing him to wheeze. 

It felt like his heart was trying to send messages in Morse code; it was beating so fast. Finally, he had developed a stitch in his side, but he felt that 'stitch' didn't begin to do the feeling justice. It felt like a seamstress had grabbed him and shoved him into an industrial sewing machine. Yet he kept going, knowing that as bad as these were, Motoko would make it worse if he didn't try his best.

After what felt like an eternity, with an additional six months tacked on for good measure, Hinata House came back into view. 'Oh, *gasp* God,' Keitaro thought, 'we're *gasp* almost *gasp* there!' Even his thoughts were in gasps at this point. He turned his head slightly to look at Motoko and was inexplicably infuriated to see that she wasn't breathing hard. She didn't even seem to be sweating. He was further dismayed when she practically sprinted up the stairs.

"Finish fast, Urashima!" she called out to him.

Digging deep and calling on resources he didn't even know he had, Keitaro managed a semi-sprint up the stairs. When he finally reached the top he fell to his knees and Shinobu's breakfast made an encore appearance. As he lay there retching, racked by the dry heaves, and trying to breathe in every precious oxygen molecule he could, a shadow fell over him. Gasping, he looked up and saw Motoko standing over him. The look she was giving him was strangely neutral.

"About what I expected Urashima. Don't worry, it'll feel better shortly."

"You, you're gonna kill me?" he choked out. "Promise?"

"No you fool! Get up and start walking with your hands on your hips and breathe deep. You'll get your wind back sooner."

Keitaro reluctantly got to his feet and did what he was told. It was difficult, but in a few minutes the pain lessened significantly. It still hurt, but he was no longer praying for a giant asteroid to strike the earth and end it all. After a couple more minutes, he felt almost human again. "You were right, I feel better now."

"Good, go get cleaned up and relax a little. We'll do this again later, so be careful about eating anything."

"Again?! Are you trying to kill me?"

"I'm trying to turn you into a quarter decent kendoist," she replied.

"You'll get my best, sensei."

'Famous last words Urashima'' she thought as she turned and walked back into Hinata House, Keitaro following behind her.

***

Kitsune was lounging on the sofa in the living room when Keitaro and Motoko walked in. They were wearing identical outfits but while Motoko looked unruffled, Keitaro looked like he'd tried to outrun a mustang. A Carrol Shelby Mustang driven by Steve McQueen.

In the mood for a little teasing, and deciding to gauge how close the two of them really were, Kitsune let out a wolf whistle and called out, "Don't you two make a lovely couple." She then sat make to observe the reactions. Keitaro blushed but this wasn't too unusual. He was probably more embarrassed by the whistle than the couple comment. Motoko however…

'Uh-oh,' thought Kitsune.

Motoko was blushing furiously and looking quite flustered. Not her normal behavior at all, but then again she hadn't really been acting 'normal' since she got back from the challenge. Still…the prospect that Motoko was perhaps nursing some feelings for Keitaro was disturbing, and without Naru to counteract them, who knew how they might develop.

Kitsune decided that she would investigate further, but now was not the time. Later, when they were separated; perhaps she could talk to Motoko in the hot springs…Yes, that would be perfect. 'Divide and conquer,' she thought with a smirk. Then she saw someone walking up to the residence who could also be useful. However, certain preparations were necessary first.

"Su, Sarah, Shinobu, could you come here?" Kitsune called out.

Within a few moments the three girls had arrived. "What's goin' on?" asked Sarah. She then noticed Keitaro and Motoko standing there. "What's with the outfit, dork?"

"Never mind that, go grab a couple of cushions," Kitsune ordered.

Shinobu stared at Keitaro and Motoko's matching outfits for a couple of seconds before she retrieved two cushions. The amount of worry she had internalized began to grow slightly. "What do we do with these?" she asked.

"You'll see," Kitsune replied cryptically. She then broke into a wide grin. "Mutsumi! It's good to see you again! How was Okinawa?" The other residents turned around and sure enough, Mutsumi was walking in.

"Wonderful!" She then noticed Keitaro and Motoko. "Ah, Keitaro, why are you wearing Motoko's clothes?"

This question resulted in a collective face-fault.

After getting back on her feet Kitsune replied, "He didn't borrow them, they're his. She's training him in kendo."

A confused look appeared on Mutsumi's face. "Why?"

'Sorry to do this to you sister, but…' "They're married now, so it seemed the right thing to do," Kitsune answered. With her hands she gestured for Su, Shinobu and Sarah to move behind Mutsumi with the cushions.

"Married?" Mutsumi asked.

"Yep. NOW you three!" Kitsune shouted as Mutsumi started to swoon.

Shinobu, Sarah and Su understood instantly and threw the cushions under Mutsumi. She collapsed into the soft pile, which prevented her from banging her chin on the floor. As a result she was merely unconscious and her spirit didn't start to float away.

'I'm glad some things are still predictable.' "Good work you three, let's get her on the sofa," stated Kitsune.

***

"…so basically, that's what's happening. If I can impress Tsuruko with what I've learned, Motoko will be allowed back into her families' school. It'll also cause the marriage to be annulled," Keitaro concluded softly.

"I see…" replied Mutsumi, her expression the same blissful one she always wore. "What does Naru think of Keitaro and Motoko being married?"

There was an uncomfortable silence until Keitaro spoke up. "She's not here. She went to visit her family for a while and she doesn't know about the chance we have to break the engagement."

"You can't tell her?"

"We can't reach her. She won't answer her cell phone, e-mail, instant messages, and her family refuses to pass on any messages. Believe me, we've tried," answered Kitsune. "We'll have to wait until she comes back to tell her."

"If she comes back," muttered Sarah.

Keitaro glared at Sarah in response. "She'll be back, I know it," he said with absolute conviction.

'Wishful thinking or speaking from the heart?' Motoko silently contemplated. 

"I agree, she'll be back," Kitsune added. 'If she wants a chance with Keitaro the sooner she gets back the better.' Kitsune's usual smirk grew slightly as she asked, "Mutsumi, would you like to join us in the hot spring?"

Mutsumi's eyes glazed over and a dreamy look came over her face. "Sure! Let's take the shortcut," she said as she headed for the hidden entrance.

"Let's just use the hallway, O.K?" Kitsune replied. She then looked at Keitaro and decided to try another test. "Hey Keitaro, even though your wife is in the bath that doesn't mean that you can peep at the rest of us!" she said in a mock threatening tone. She was a little worried when Motoko merely blushed instead of making a threat towards Keitaro. 

For his part Keitaro blushed upon recalling all that he had seen the previous nights. He used the back of his right hand to wipe away the single drop of blood that had been discharged from his nose. Realizing that he wouldn't be welcome anywhere near the hot springs, he went to his private bath to clean himself up and soak his sore muscles.

***

After all of the women had entered the hot spring and engaged in small talk for a few minutes, Kitsune decided that it was time to get down to business. Figuring that Mutsumi was as good a place to start as anywhere, she said, "So Mutsumi, what do you think of our newlyweds?"

All of the ambient chatter ceased as though a switch had been thrown. 

Mutsumi pursed her lips in thought and replied, "It's unexpected. I didn't think that they liked each other. Are they closer now?"

"Probably a little, they do sleep together," responded Kitsune.

Motoko blushed heavily at this and stammered, "It, it, its not like that! We sleep in the same room but nothing happens!"

"Is that disappointment I hear in your voice?" Kitsune needled. 'Damn, she's not objecting with that much vehemence. This could be worse than I thought.'

"No! It's not like that at all! I'm merely teaching him kendo, and the two of us wake up earlier than anyone else. By being in the same room we don't disturb anyone else."

'That sounds a little more reassuring,' Kitsune thought. "You really want back into your family school, don't you?" 

"Of course, it's what I live for," she replied succinctly.

'Better, much better.' "So how goes the training Motoko?" asked Kitsune.

"Difficult. We have a lot to accomplish and only a short time to do it."

"So you have to push Urashima very hard? Oh my. He can't be enjoying that, can he?" commented Mutsumi.

"No, but our style isn't easy to learn. It takes a lot of effort and sacrifice."

"How is sempai doing?" asked Shinobu.

"He's trying the best he can," replied Motoko.

"Yeah," Su interjected, "he ran until he tossed his cookies today!"

"Su!" cried out Shinobu.

"Yep, he puked, heaved, barfed,-"

"We get the point!" shouted Kitsune, who was looking a little green around the gills.

Mutsumi, seemingly unaffected by the topic of conversation, asked, "So what's it like being married to Keitaro?"

"Yeah, tell us!" added Sarah.

The other residents were all leaning forward in anticipation of Motoko's answer.

"It's… alright."

As one, the other residents of Hinata House blinked.

"Just alright?" asked Kitsune.

"Isn't that rather dull?" inquired Mutsumi.

"No! I mean we train together, we sleep together,-"

"Now we're getting somewhere!" cried Kitsune, while Shinobu blushed to the point that she could have hidden in a tomato patch. "What's the flight time for the flying turtle?"

"I didn't mean like that!" shrieked Motoko. "We sleep next to each other on two futons, we don't have any contact." 'Aside from that one night,' she recalled with a faint blush. 'It was… very nice, but we haven't done anything since.' Motoko was a little surprised at the disappointment that thought brought her. 

"I was right, that's dull," chortled Kitsune. "Doesn't seem worth the trouble to me."

"What, what do you mean?" stammered Motoko.

'Good, good, just have to keep it up,' Kitsune thought to herself with a slightly sinister grin. "How much 'fun' can it be if you need two futons?"

Motoko was unable to think of a way to respond to this comment. 

"Oh my, that's not fun at all," added Mutsumi. "At least Keitaro's working hard at the training, right?"

"Yes, that's correct," responded Motoko. 

"Narusegawa should be happy when she hears how hard that Keitaro is working to get out of the marriage, right?" Mutsumi asked.

Motoko swallowed once before answering. "I, I suppose so."

"Yeah, it's perfect," chortled Sarah. "Motoko just has to keep cracking that whip and that dork will do anything to get away!" Caught up in her malicious glee, Sarah didn't notice the pensive look that came over Motoko's face.

Kitsune noticed it though. 'Shit! Is she starting to have second thoughts?' She threw an icy stare at Sarah that the younger girl didn't notice. 'Sarah just had to bring it out in the open didn't she? Motoko didn't seem to be bothered by losing Keitaro until that brat opened her big mouth!' 

"Hey, when will Naru come back?" asked Su.

Everyone looked at Kitsune, who simply sighed and said, "I'm not certain, maybe a month or so."

"How hard will you train sempai?" asked Shinobu.

"As hard as I must," Motoko replied. Her voice betrayed none of the uncertainty she was now feeling.

"Good luck then," Shinobu said with complete honesty.

"Thank you. On that subject, I think that its time for another training session. If you'll excuse me," Motoko said as she walked out of the bath.

Watching her leave Kitsune thought, 'she's gonna work that poor guy to death. I'll do what I can Naru, but it would be easier if you were here.'

The mood in the bath lightened considerably when Su asked Mutsumi if she could get some more hot springs turtles so she could try a new turtle noodle soup recipe she had discovered. In the resulting 'discussion', any thoughts of Keitaro and Motoko were pushed to the back of everyone's mind.

***

True to her word, Motoko found Keitaro and told him that it was time for another run.

"How long?" he asked.

"Three miles, just through the neighbourhood."

"Alright, let me go change…"

"-Urashima," Motoko interrupted. "Wait," she told him, "for this, you can wear sweatpants and a shirt."

"O.K. Then gimme two minutes."

Just over a minute later the two of them were standing at the top of the stairs of Hinata House and ready to begin. Motoko turned to Keitaro and said, "You should be able to keep a better pace in that outfit, so we'll go a little faster this time."

'Better pace?! Is she slipping steroids into my food?' "Yes sensei."

"Remember, the pain will go away eventually so don't be afraid to push yourself. Let's go." With that she started to jog down the stairs, Keitaro following behind her.

Running through the neighbourhood, Motoko was outwardly the epitome of focus; Keitaro was doggedly trying to keep pace despite his obvious fatigue. In reality, Motoko was running on autopilot, trying to make sense of the confusion in her thoughts.

'Am I trying to push him away?' she asked herself. 'No, I'm not. At least I don't think I am. I'm simply training him kendo, and that training will be lot of work. I told him it would be hard, he should be expecting this.'

'But I'm supposed to be his wife. We should be equals, but I'm treating him just like any other student. But he's more than just student isn't he? He's my husband. Perhaps reluctantly, but he's done more for me than anyone else ever has in my life.' Motoko had a sudden flashback to a night a few weeks earlier. She remembered stifled screams of agony, the gentle kiss of cold steel, and the dripping warmth of freshly spilled blood.

'He saved my life. He suffered terrible injuries to protect me from myself. He did that for me and I treat him like he's just another student. No warmth, no compassion, just another student.'

She looked over to see how Keitaro was handling the run. As she expected, he was beat. But he wasn't beaten. Far from it, the determination she saw in his eyes told her that he'd run with her until he dropped.

'He seems to be giving it his all,' she mused. 'I don't know what his kendo skills are like, but I can't find fault with his effort and determination.' This thought gave her pause, as it raised another point in her mind. 'Why is he working so hard? He said he cares for me, but he's working as if he wants to impress Tsuruko and get out of the marriage.'

'But his main interest is getting me back into the Shinmei School,' Motoko recalled. 'He went to see Tsuruko behind my back not to end the marriage, but to get me reinstated. Or is he just saying that to spare my feelings? If he really was interested in me, then there'd be no reason to push himself this hard. If he gave a half effort than there'd be no way he'd impress Tsuruko and we be married for real.' Upon contemplation, Motoko was able to bring herself to admit that she could probably live with that. 

'But he's willing to nearly kill himself to get me reinstated and end the marriage. Why would he make the effort if he wanted me? Why is my reinstatement so important to him?' She nearly smacked herself in the head as she realized that there was an obvious way to find out staring her in the face. 'Why don't I just ask him?' As Hinata House loomed in front of them, she decided to do just that.

After reaching Hinata House once again, Motoko was pleased to see that while Keitaro was having trouble trying to catch his breath, he wasn't throwing up either. She allowed a small smile to appear and told him, "Better Urashima, it wasn't as hard this time was it?"

"No, it wasn't. Death wouldn't be an improvement this time," he gasped.

As she watched him get his strength back, she decided that she would ask him now, while they had a moment of relative privacy.

"Urashima, may I ask you a personal question?"

"Sure, go ahead."

"Do you find being married to me that distasteful?" she asked quietly.

Keitaro was taken aback at this question, but quickly responded, "No I don't, why do you ask?"

"Why are you working so hard to impress my sister? Why are you working so hard to end the marriage?"

"I'm not. Being married to you could be, rather, is nice, but that's not what you really want is it?"

Surprised at being the one to answer a question like that, Motoko replied, "I don't know what you mean."

"Your first love is the Shinmei School right?" When Motoko nodded, he continued. "I'm doing this to get you back in, that's why."

"But why is it so important to you Urashima?" Motoko asked uncertainly.

Keitaro didn't answer that, at least not verbally. He walked up to Motoko until he was standing in front of her. He looked around to make sure that none of the other residents was in the vicinity. Satisfied that no one was looking, he held up his hands, palms facing her.

Motoko drew in a sharp breath as she realized what he was attempting to demonstrate. Running horizontally across each palm was a long, thin scar, a souvenir of her suicide attempt of a few weeks ago.

In a quiet voice he said, "that's why. I'm worried about you, and I'm concerned by what you might do. I know you said you wouldn't, but I don't know for sure." He then put his hands down and walked past her into the residence, leaving a shaken Motoko behind him.

***

For the remainder of the afternoon and evening Motoko made an active effort to avoid Keitaro, as she didn't think that she could face him for a while. While Keitaro and the others enjoyed a visit with Mutsumi, Motoko spent most of the time on the roof, in Keitaro's traditional spot, lost in thought. 

Kitsune and the others noticed her absence but didn't know what it was about and were uncomfortable at the prospect of raising the issue with Keitaro. In addition, no one was in any mood to risk a return of the stress and tension of a couple of weeks ago, and so they decided to avoid the issue in the hopes that it would go away on its own. And in the back of Kitsune's mind, she was hoping that a little friction between Keitaro and Motoko would help Naru's chances. She had no ill will towards either of them, but Naru needed all the help she could get right now.

Later that evening, after Mutsumi had left and Keitaro was in his room getting ready for bed, Motoko finally walked in. Keitaro stopped removing his sock, looked up at her for a few seconds and then resumed undressing.

Motoko had been nervous about facing Keitaro again, but she had come to a decision while thinking on the roof. 'I owe him my life, I may end up owing him for being able to rejoin the Shinmei School. The least I could do is show him a little kindness. I can be a little more humane in my teaching methods, right?'

Motoko allowed herself to make an admission. 'I do care for Keitaro. I see that now. Why shouldn't I try to let him know that? Why not show him?'

She nodded to herself as she decided on a course of action. 'I've been thinking that he isn't acting much like a husband. Well, am I acting anything like a wife? No, I'm not. Maybe, maybe I should start to change that.'

After taking a deep breath to calm herself, she said "How are you feeling Uras- Keitaro?"

Surprised at hearing his first name, Keitaro looked up at Motoko and replied, "I'm O.K., I guess. My muscles are just a little sore."

"I see." Noticing that Keitaro was only wearing a shirt and boxer shorts, she asked him, "Keitaro, could you please lie down on your stomach?" 'Yes, I think it's time I started to act a little like a wife.'

Confused by this unusual request, Keitaro simply did as he was asked. 'What's going on, is this some type of punishment?' he wondered as Motoko walked over to the futon and sat down next to his knees. 'Don't know why I'd be punished though, I haven't d-' the rest of that thought was cut off as Motoko placed her hands on his lower calves and began to massage them.

'His legs will undoubtedly hurt the most after all that running' Motoko thought to herself as she proceeded to work out some of the tenseness in Keitaro's legs. She worked up and down the back of his legs, going as high as the edge of his boxer shorts. 'This feels nice,' Motoko noticed with a little surprise. 'I knew that he would like it, but this is kind of fun for me, too.' So focused was she on his legs, she failed to notice that his upper body had gone as tight as a drum skin.

If anyone had asked Keitaro, he would have sworn that all activity in his brain had come to a screeching halt. The idea that Motoko would willingly give him a massage was inconceivable. Oh, she had done it once before when everyone had thought he'd failed the center exam, but that time it had felt like someone was driving a steamroller on his back. This was gentler, softer, almost sensual. Hell, it WAS sensual, and Keitaro was thankful that the way he was lying down prevented any visually embarrassing moments.

Motoko's hands moved up and down Keitaro's legs, rubbing and squeezing as they went. 'He seems to be uptight,' Motoko mused, as she went after a stubborn knot of tension in his left leg. 'It would be lot more pleasant for the both of us if I was a little more civil towards him.' She started to use her fists to pound on his legs above the knee, smiling to herself as he felt the tension lessen.

'I'm a little surprised,' she thought, 'I may have not thought of him as active, but his legs aren't in too bad shape.' Motoko found herself enjoying the sensation of rubbing Keitaro's legs, and a little curious about the other parts of his body. Trying to keep herself focused on what she was doing, Motoko tried to push all extraneous thoughts out of her head, but her slight blush was testament to how difficult that was.

Gradually, Keitaro began to let himself relax and loosen the tensed up muscles in his back. Motoko's hands felt strong, callused, but with some softness there. 'Every woman would love to have hands that feel like hers,' he mused. The calluses added a firmness to her grip that made the massage more effective. They weren't any really rough areas, and the varying textures was causing all sorts of nice sensations. Her hands felt wonderful on his legs and he began to wonder what they'd feel like elsewhere, and if all of her skin was that smooth.

As Motoko continued to rub, knead, and squeeze the muscles on Keitaro's legs she figured that she had done everything that she could to work out the knots in his legs. Her eyes fell onto his back and her curiosity inspired a small debate. 'Should I…?, no, it's too forward. But on the other hand, I was wondering about it, right? Besides, it's what a wife would do, I'll do it…' A Kitsune like smirk came over her features. 'He does have a great deal of tension there anyway.'

Keitaro was enjoying the sensation of pain free legs and a few not so innocent thoughts about Motoko when he felt her hands leave his legs. He was about to thank her when she suddenly straddled his hips and pushed his shirt up. The level of tension in his back and shoulders shot up exponentially and his brain started to short circuit. 'What the h-'

Any further thoughts were eliminated when he felt Motoko rest her hands on his shoulder blades and then begin to work out the suddenly abundant tension there. The leg massage had been wonderful, this was… indescribable. Despite the fact that his blood pressure was probably off the scale, Motoko was working out the knots in his back. Almost unwillingly, he felt himself relax as weeks worth of tension was eliminated from his body.

Motoko was enjoying the sensation of relieving the pent up stress in Keitaro's back and shoulders. He had a more athletic build than she would have expected, and he was warm as well as being tense. She couldn't deny the fact that she liked the feeling of his back and shoulders under her hands. 'I'm feeling a little odd,' she realized. 'I'm flushed, and why is my heart pounding? This isn't hard work.' Her eyes opened wide and her blush deepened as she remembered the last time she'd had a feeling like this.

But this time, she was virtually positive that she wasn't coming down with a cold.

Keitaro was unaware of this revelation in Motoko's thoughts, as he was too busy luxuriating in the massage. Motoko's hands felt incredible, but there was something else, a feeling almost like a silk cloth on his back. 'My God, her hair!' he realized. Her hair was brushing against his back and adding an amazing counterpoint to a truly wonderful massage. Keitaro realized that he was becoming sexually aroused as his breathing started to become shallow. Just when it seemed that he'd start to lose control Motoko stopped.

Keitaro barely prevented himself from pleading for Motoko to continue.

Barely.

"Do you feel better now, Keitaro?" Motoko asked. She was still straddling him so he had to look up over his shoulder to see her.

'I'd feel better if you hadn't stopped,' he thought. "Yes, thank you Motoko. The stiffness is gone now." 'Most of it anyway.'

She pushed herself off of him and stood up. "I'm sorry that I've been so harsh a sensei Keitaro, you didn't deserve it."

"What do you mean, Motoko?"

"I mean you've done everything that's been asked of you and more without complaint," she replied. "You've been there for me, comforted me, and you even saved my life. And I still treated you like you were just another student," she concluded sadly.

Keitaro looked up at her for a few minutes, trying to determine what to say. Finaly he said, "Please don't be sad Motoko, you don't deserve any more sadness. There's no need to apologize, you're just trying to do your best." With a small smile he added, "'Sides, I think I work better with stern discipline." He was startled when an image came into his mind unbidden of Motoko in a dominatrix outfit, causing him to blush. 

"You're very kind Keitaro. If you'll excuse me, I have to prepare for bed," she stated as she walked out the door.

As soon as the door closed Keitaro released all of the facial control he had been using and he struggled to catch his breath. 'My God, that was… hot! Where did she learn to do that?!' he wondered as he attempted to get his blood flow back down to normal.

His efforts at self-control were hampered when Motoko re-entered the room. 'He's looking at me,' she realized. She had to admit she kind of liked having him look at her like that. 'Just a little tenderness seems to work wonders.' She then started to change into her nightshirt with out making much of an effort to conceal herself from Keitaro.

For Keitaro this was exquisite torture. He knew that he cared for Naru and that maybe he even loved her, but he had NEVER been this excited by her, not even in that hotel room in Kyoto. He'd never been this excited before in his life. He longed to take Motoko in his arms and make her his, but he knew that if he did everything would change. This gave him pause, as he wasn't sure that he wasn't just feeling lust right now.

'O.K., it probably is lust,' he reluctantly concluded.

'Alright, it IS lust,' he admitted finally.

Keitaro didn't want to do anything that would end up hurting anyone, so he was able to mentally put down his hormones. While he'd been having an internal debate, Motoko finished dressing and laid down on her futon and turned out the light.

"Goodnight Keitaro," she whispered in a throaty voice that caused the hairs on the back of his neck, among other things, to stand up.

"G, goodnight Motoko," he replied hesitantly. As he lay there, thinking back to what had just happened, he remembered his promise to get her back in the Shinmei School. That more than anything helped kill the last traces of desire in his system. 'She wants to be a warrior, not a wife. Remember that and throttle back!' But a small voice was asking him if that was what HE wanted

Having somewhat reluctantly decided on what he believed to be the right course of action, Keitaro closed his eyes and attempted to fall asleep. Only tonight, sleep was the farthest thing from his mind.

'This is gonna be a long night,' he thought miserably.

End Chapter Four

Coming Soon: Chapter 5

Yet again, Thanks to Harvey Bautista for riding shotgun on this story and pre-reading it.


	6. Chapter 5: Reunions and Realizations

Disclaimer: See Prologue.

Any comments, complaints, complements, flames, and credit card numbers can be sent to: hawker_748@hotmail.com Feedback and reviews would be greatly appreciated. 

Once again, I would like to thank all reviewers for the feedback that was provided. 

This fanfic is based on the manga and anime and borrows facets from both of them.

"*" Spoken words

'*' Thoughts

Love Hina

Loss and Redemption

Chapter Five: Reunions and Realizations

By: hawker_748

Since becoming the landlord of Hinata House, Keitaro had experienced a number of rough nights and rude awakenings. Having to sleep next to Su when Motoko went to training camp had been difficult; she'd cracked three of his ribs in her sleep. The night he and Naru had shared a room in Kyoto, she had put herself on display in her sleep and he'd been forced to tie himself up to stay in control. Even a study session with Mutsumi, Naru and himself had gone awry when they'd all fallen asleep and the girls had nuzzled against him while they slept.

But this night had been the absolute worst of them all. It had started out pleasant enough, with Motoko giving him a massage that easily ranked as the greatest event of his entire life. The problem was that it had aroused him, and then he'd had to fall asleep afterwards, but in the grip of intense arousal and teeth gnashing frustration, sleep had been nearly impossible. When he had fallen asleep, his dreams had been feverish with desire and he'd woken up about once an hour, sweating and breathing shallowly.

Finally he'd managed to calm himself down and fall into a fitful sleep. This didn't last, as he found himself roused again, this time by something resting on him and a ticklish feeling on his face. He reluctantly opened his bleary eyes and was shocked completely awake by the sight of Motoko's face just inches from his own. The two of them had rolled into an impromptu embrace while they slept, and Keitaro discovered that his left arm was around Motoko's waist and her right arm was around his. He prepared to extricate himself as slowly and carefully as he could.

Then another impulse struck him. Motoko's lips, those soft, warm, inviting lips, were inches from his own. He could feel her breath against his cheek. To kiss her, all he'd have to do is move his head slightly, it would be so easy. It reminded him of the time he'd almost kissed Naru when he thought she'd fallen asleep. 'Naru.' She hadn't approved of it then, and Motoko probably wouldn't approve of it now. He looked at the clock. 5:17. 'Guess Motoko didn't want to train this morning,' a voice at the back of his mind commented.

He wanted to kiss Motoko, but doing it like this went against his philosophy and he was certain that neither Motoko or Naru would be happy about it. Thinking about Naru sent his thoughts into a mess of spiraling confusion. He decided that there was no way he was going to get anymore sleep today, and if he was up, he might as well do something. He carefully pulled his left arm free, getting only a brief fright when she made a move to grab it, which he managed to avoid. Quietly getting up off the futon, he pulled on a pair sweats and a shirt. 'Maybe a run will clear my head,' he pondered as he walked out of the room and quietly closed the door.

If he had waited a moment longer, he would have heard Motoko quietly call out for him in her sleep.

***

At this hour the streets were virtually deserted and Keitaro was grateful for that. He preferred the privacy, and his only companions were his own thoughts. This wasn't a jog he was on; this was a frustration fuelled run. He was moving at a pace far faster than he had run before and despite his burning lungs he felt no urge to slow down. The run also allowed him the time to sort out the confusing feelings he was having towards Naru and Motoko.

A month ago his romantic situation was a lot clearer, even if seemed that the relationship between him and Naru couldn't decide if it was coming or going. Now he found his thoughts drifting between Naru and Motoko, and he had no idea how to handle this. He had vowed to Motoko that he'd get her reinstated and he fully intended to keep that promise if he could. However after last nights massage and some dreams that were on the far side of steamy, part of him was wondering if maybe staying with Motoko was the better option.

But Naru was still in his life, sort of. When she returned, she'd probably be happy to hear about how hard he was working to get out of the marriage. He did care for Naru, and spending the rest of his life with her was also an appealing option. She had never scorched his dreams the way Motoko done last night, but she was still beautiful and she meant a great deal to him. He had been through a lot with her, and through it all they had maintained a tempestuous relationship that went from tenderness to all out war and back in the blink of an eye.

'Ah, but aren't you forgetting Mutsumi?' his mind asked. While not as prominent a place in his heart as Naru or Motoko, she was still an important person in his life. The connection the two of them had was almost uncanny, from their love of collecting print club stickers to their similar personalities. It was almost like they were the two sides of the same coin, or cut from the same cloth. While she seemed to be trying to get him together with Naru, he was pretty sure that she would like an opportunity to be with him as well.

While his mind was having this debate, his body, which was being pushed harder than it had ever been, finally threw in the towel. He missed a step and ended up stumbling into a pile of garbage bags. With the last ounce of his strength he got up from where he had fallen and staggered over to a bench and collapsed onto it. He sat there trying to get his wind back and wait for his muscles to eliminate their accumulation of lactic acid.

He glanced at an outdoor clock and was surprised at the time. '6:00? Man, that was a longer run than I thought,' he mused. He was pleased to discover that he'd succeeded in burning off some of the frustrated energy that had built up during the night. 'Time to go home, breakfast should be ready when I get back.'

He returned to his feet and began walking back to Hinata House, his thoughts a lot less chaotic than they had been before. 'For now, worry about the training, I'll deal with the other issues when I have a chance to really think about romantic entanglements.'

'Romantic entanglements,' he snorted. 'Me, having romantic entanglements. Who'd have thought?' He spent the rest of the walk back to the residence watching the sky get lighter and enjoying the morning air. When he finally reached the top of the steps he found Motoko waiting for him. She wasn't openly angry with him, but she wasn't smiling either.

"Where did you go?" she asked with no preamble.

Keitaro grimaced. 'Should've guessed she'd be upset at me leaving, should've left a note,' he thought. "I woke up around five, couldn't get back to sleep, didn't want to wake you so I went for a run."

Motoko's brow furrowed in confusion. "Why couldn't you sleep?"

Keitaro stared at her with an incredulous look on his face. "You're kidding, right? It was that massage you gave me!"

Motoko blushed at his answer. "I'm sorry Keitaro, I didn't mean to cause you such distress. I'll try to be more careful next time."

In a flash the truth came to Keitaro. 'That was the most erotic experience of my life, and could provide fodder for hundreds of fantasies. She had me more sexually excited than I have ever been and she WASN'T EVEN TRYING!?' his mind shouted. He blushed heavily as another thought occurred to him. 'What, what would it have been like if she'd been trying to seduce me?' He realized that some parts of him were hoping he'd get a chance to find out.

"Are you alright Keitaro? Your face is all red,' asked Motoko.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, I just pushed myself a little too hard during the run, that's all," he replied nervously. To his relief, Motoko seemed to accept that at face value. The two of them went inside and had breakfast with the others.

***

Over the next few weeks Keitaro and Motoko spent as much time as they could in training sessions. She still preferred to be called 'sensei', but she didn't whap him over the head if he slipped up and called her Motoko. The distance and pace of their runs were gradually increased and Keitaro never again had the urge to vomit after running, even after eating. He was starting to toughen up, and his heart and lungs were in the best shape of his life. Physically he was getting into top shape, and he carried himself with a little more pride.

His kendo skills however…

Keitaro wasn't the worst swordsman in the world, but he was pretty close. He had no trouble holding the blade or taking a stance with it, but if he had to move with it, his inherent clumsiness asserted itself. He would trip over his feet or the pant legs of his outfit. Sometimes he got tangled up in the sleeves to the point that it resembled a straight jacket. Even the cracks on the roof could send him ass over teakettle, and Motoko would have sworn that once he tripped over his own shadow.

He was trying as hard as he could, but he had absolutely no inherent martial arts ability. It was so depressing at times that Motoko figured the only chance that they had would be to cut her hair extremely short and hope she could pass herself off as Keitaro. She rejected this idea out of hand, but there were days she caught herself wondering where the scissors were.

While Keitaro was struggling to become a swordsman, Motoko decided that she would try to improve her barely adequate cooking skills. She was able to make simple and nourishing food, albeit terribly bland, but she wanted to be able to make tastier fare. Her first attempt at a western dish, which involved flambé cooking, was obviously too difficult for her, and only quick action by Sarah with a fire extinguisher prevented a disaster.

After this fiasco, Su installed a fire suppression system in the kitchen that wouldn't have been out of place at an oil refinery. It did need a little adjustment though; Haruka discovered this when she made the mistake of lighting a cigarette in the kitchen and was hit with, in her own words, 'Niagara Falls'. This incident was made even more embarrassing as Haitani and Shirai had been visiting at the time, and the sight of Haruka in soaking wet clothing had caused Shirai to pass out from blood loss due to the resulting nosebleed.

When she was asked why she wanted to be able to cook better, Motoko would say that since she was starting to do more of the cooking, it was only appropriate that she try to do it better. What she didn't tell anyone, except herself, was that she was hoping that Keitaro would like her cooking. She was still self-conscious about her femininity, and she hoped that being able to cook better would make her more appealing to Keitaro. 

Motoko hadn't talked to Keitaro about her growing feelings for him mainly because she was afraid of how he'd react. Besides, what they had wasn't too bad; they lived together, trained together, and they were growing more comfortable with each other. She was worried about rocking the boat, and telling Keitaro that she might be falling for him would certainly classify as rocking. It was better to simply enjoy what she had now, and see what happened.

When Keitaro wasn't being taught kendo by Motoko, she would tell him the history of the Shinmei School, and what it had done in the past. She was so passionate and animated when she told these stories that it served to remind him of how much it meant to her, and why he had to work so hard in the face of such daunting odds.

Keitaro was becoming aware of just how wonderful a woman he was married to, and there were times when he wondered if making the marriage official would be such a bad idea. 'But if we do that, is there any point to continuing the training?' he wondered. 

Motoko was starting to have similar thoughts about Keitaro. For her the sword was her life and that was the way it had always been. While she may have had some feeling for Keitaro, even he had said the sword was her first love. Despite her better treatment of him, she still longed to be able to call herself a warrior again. But as the weeks had gone by and the two of them had gotten to know each other better, Motoko couldn't explain away the hollow feeling she got when she imagined the day that she was re-admitted to the Shinmei School and no longer married to Keitaro.

Through all of this internal debate Keitaro and Motoko still managed to get a little closer, much to Kitsune and Shinobu's dismay. The two of them always cheered Keitaro on when he was working out and did everything they could to encourage him to work harder. Kitsune's specialty was cheering and moral support while Shinobu always tried to make food that Keitaro liked. Despite their efforts, only one particular event was able to throw a monkey wrench into the slowly growing relationship.

***

Naru Narusegawa stood at the bottom of the stairs and looked up at Hinata House. 'Two months,' she reflected, 'have I really been gone that long?' Not wanting to walk up just yet, she recalled what had precipitated her departure two months earlier. Keitaro Urashima, her landlord, study partner, and possible love of her life, had ended up married to Motoko Aoyama, another Hinata resident.

When the two of them were wed, she had been so stunned by what had happened her usual fire had disappeared. She had been like a deer in the headlights while watching the rudimentary wedding ceremony, and when she had finally gotten around to recovering, it was over. It was too late. She was too late. Keitaro was gone. Lost to someone that she had never considered to be a threat. If she had been worried about anyone else getting Keitaro it would've been Mutsumi, but Motoko? No, she'd never seen it coming.

Shaken down to her very core, she'd put up a mask of indifference, lashing out when approached to insure that no one saw how hurt she was. She'd opened up a little to Kitsune, but she'd locked everyone else out. She had also unleashed her anguish against Keitaro whenever possible, for she found it easier to get angry and assault him then to open up to him. 'And it was easier to run away than to face him,' she recalled sadly. What made it worse was that he never attempted to follow her. When she and Keitaro had taken that trip after they'd failed the exam together, the entire house had chased after them.

'But when I went away, no one came after me, not even Keitaro. Especially not Keitaro,' she thought. She had said she needed to be alone, but deep down, she was hoping they'd try to follow her. She sighed deeply, and began to walk slowly up the stairs. 'I lost him. I cared for him, but I lost him. I'll have to learn to live with that, and at least be civil when I see them.'

Traveling alone for two months gives one a great deal of time for reflection, and Naru had certainly done a lot. She had come to realize that Keitaro had been the most important person in her life and she'd been unable to keep him. Now Motoko had his companionship, his love, even his name. All things that she had finally been able to admit that she'd wanted. 'I've got to move on now, I can't go on pining away for him, he's gone. I'm, I'm going to have to let him go,' she thought morosely.

By this time Naru had reached the top of the steps and was heading for the entrance. She stopped, took a deep breath to steady her nerves, idly wished she had a flask of alcohol to drink from, and then walked into the residence. "I'm back," she called out tentatively.

"Naru? Is that you… Naru!" Kitsune cried out upon seeing her friend in the living room. She ran up to her and gave her a bear hug that left Naru gasping for breath.

"Good to see you too, Kitsune," Naru wheezed as she struggled to free herself.

Realizing that her friend would need a doctor if she didn't let go, Kitsune released the hug and called out, "Hey everybody, Naru's back!"

"Within seconds, Shinobu, Sarah, and Su were converging on the living room with all possible speed. "Heyas Naru, didya bring me something to eat?" Su asked her as a way of greeting.

"No, but it's good to see you all again," Naru replied as she hugged each of the girls in turn. She was so elated to be with her friends again it took her a minute to notice that there were two residents absent. "Where, where are Keitaro and Motoko?" she asked.

There was a moment of silence before Kitsune answered. "They're out training, they should be back shortly. Listen Naru, I've got to tell-" Kitsune didn't get to finish the sentence as two new voices were added to the room.

"Very good Keitaro, that was your best time yet."

"Thanks Motoko, but I really don't like running in this hakama, it's just not comfortable."

"It is tradition to wear them. For centuries they have been worn by some of the greatest swordsman."

"It also used to be tradition to use leeches when you were sick. Why can't I wear a track suit or something?"

"You're comparing my family history with leeches? How dare you, you…" At this point Motoko had noticed Naru standing in the living room and any further comment died on her tongue.

"Hey, what's goi…" Like Motoko, Keitaro was at a complete loss for words upon seeing Naru again.

Naru looked at the two of them in their matching outfits and felt a new knife lance into her heart. She resolved to not break into tears but to stand firm and move on with her life. 'I won't cry now, I did enough crying on my own.' "Hello Keitaro, Motoko. It's good to see you again." She made an effort to put on a façade of civility and calmness.

Those efforts were put to their limits when Keitaro broke into a wide smile and cried out, "Naru! It's so good to see you again!" This earned him a relieved look from Kitsune, a look of shock from Naru, and a narrowing of the eyes from Motoko.

Naru just looked at him with an expression that was full of barely suppressed sadness and longing. "If you'll excuse me, I need to get settled back in,' she said as she headed up the stairs to her room.

"Let me help you with that!" Kitsune called out as she followed Naru up the stairs. 

Keitaro was left feeling upset and confused by Naru's quick departure. He didn't get much time to think about it as Motoko, who seemed less than pleased with him, seized his attention.

"Urashima!" She hadn't called him that in a month and a half. "You dare besmirch my family history by comparing it to leeches?" she hissed. "You'll have to run again for that, and this time push yourself!"

"Yes Motoko, I'm sorry!"

"That's sensei!" she barked, clouting him on the head with her sword sheath.

"Yes sensei, I'm sorry." 'I'm going to regret that,' he mused as he walked back out the door in preparation for the run.

After Keitaro passed her, Motoko's face very briefly took on an expression of sorrow. But after less than two seconds, it was replaced by cold indifference and she turned and followed him out.

Back inside, Su and Sarah decided that the show was over and they ran off to resume exploring Hinata House. Shinobu would have gone back to the kitchen, but her mind was racing at what she had witnessed. She was glad that Naru was back, but she was also delighted to see that maybe her chances had improved. 'Naru didn't seem to be happy with him,' she recalled, 'and Motoko was definitely mad at him. If, if I can have a cold drink and some kind words for him when he gets back, maybe he'll take some notice of me!'

A smile that would have more appropriate on Kitsune, or perhaps Sarah, appeared on Shinobu's face. 'I may have a chance yet! If sempai has both Naru and Motoko angry with him and neither wants to be with him, I could win him! As long as I don't upset him, and just act kindly to him he'll notice me… won't he?' this doubt gave her conscience an opening that it tried to exploit. '_It's wrong to do this, you know. He does care for them, and he'd be unhappy if anything happened.'_

'But I love him!' her heart replied. 'He's so wonderful, and I can't compete with Naru or Motoko. I, I have to do this if I want to be with him!' Shinobu's conscience didn't reply to this argument, but she had the sinking feeling that she hadn't heard the last from it.

***

"What the hell were you doing Naru?" raged Kitsune. "Why did you push him away?!"

"He's Motoko's now, I have to let him go," Naru replied softly.

"What do you mean…, that's right, you don't know, do you?"

"Know what?"

"Did you notice their outfits?"

Confused by this apparent non-sequitur, Naru replied, "Yes, so what?"

"Motoko is teaching him kendo."

"So what?"

"Aren't you curious why?"

"I'm in no mood for games, get to the point Kitsune!" Naru growled.

"Alright, alright. A day after you left, Keitaro apparently went after Tsuruko and asked her to end the marriage."

"He, he did?"

"Yes, he did. Tsuruko gave him a bag with a sword and some letters. To make a long story short, if Motoko teaches him kendo for a year and he impresses Tsuruko, then the marriage ends and Motoko gets back into her family school."

Naru just sat there for a few minutes, not having any clue about what to say. When she finally spoke, it was in a voice so low that Kitsune had to strain to hear it. "I, I don't know…"

"Whaddya mean 'I don't know?'" Kitsune asked incredulously. "This is your best chance to get him back!"

"It's not that easy Kitsune," Naru replied. "While I was gone, I had a lot of time to think."

"About what?"

"Me. Keitaro. Us. Everything. Part of what I decided was what I should do about him. He was married to Motoko, he didn't come after me, and he's still living with her."

"So what?"

"I let him go Kitsune. I decided to let him go. I spent weeks trying to forget about how I felt about him. I grieved for the end of our relationship. I did everything that I could to get over him and move on, and now you're telling me it was for nothing?" Naru's voice had been steadily rising in pitch and was now on the threshold of shouting.

"We tried to tell you, but you wouldn't listen!" Kitsune responded while making 'quiet down' gestures. "You never answered your phone, e-mail or anything! What else could we have done, used carrier pigeons and smoke signals?" 

Naru opened her mouth to respond to that, but ended up closing it as she realized that her friend was right. She had had tried to cut herself off from her friends and had completely succeeded. 

Kitsune saw that the truth was sinking into Naru and she decided that now was the best time to let the other shoe drop. "It's lucky you came back when you did. Another month or so and I think you'd been outta luck."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, they've been living together, sleeping in the same room, although I don't think they've had sex, and they're starting to get closer."

"How close?"

"They're not at the 'Kei-kun' or 'Mo-chan' phase yet, but it could happen soon. If you'd stayed, not much would have changed, but Motoko is beautiful, just in case you haven't noticed, and they spend a lot of time together."

"But, but Keitaro and I worked together for a long time to pass the Tokyo University entrance exam…" Naru stammered.

"And right now Keitaro and Motoko are working together to impress Tsuruko," Kitsune shot back. "Don't worry though, how much could two people learn to care for each other in a year?" Kitsune saw Naru flinch at that, and she knew that her words had cut her to the bone. 'I hate having to do this Naru, but if you don't do something, you'll lose him!' Deciding that now was the right time for a gentler approach, Kitsune said, "Listen Naru. Keitaro isn't Motoko's, but he may not be yours either. If you want him, you're going to have to try to win him."

"How?" Naru replied softly.

"How? How'd you do it the first time?"

Naru rubbed the back of her head and chuckled nervously. "I'm, I'm not really sure…"

"Then just be yourself."

"I'll try."

"Good. I should warn you though, I'd be careful around Motoko now."

"What do you mean?"

"Remember that slap you gave her before you left?" When Naru nodded, Kitsune continued. "Well, she might not just stand there and take it like she did then. I'd say she's becoming attached to him, which means possessiveness and jealousy may be a factor from now on."

Naru thought about what Kitsune had told her, and what she had done during the past two months. After a few minutes she sighed and said, "I've really screwed up haven't I?"

"Yes, you have," Kitsune replied in a matter-of-fact voice. "But it's not too late, and there's still a chance."

"Thanks Kitsune," Naru replied with a faint smile. "I think I'll start tomorrow."

"Why not now?"

"Let me get settled first," Naru replied as she walked out and headed for the bath.

"O.K." 'Naru's been through a lot hasn't she?' Kitsune mused. 'She's not as driven as she used to be, and I hope that doesn't hurt her chances.' Privately, Kitsune figured that it was a dead heat, and if she'd been asked to make a bet, she couldn't have decided on either Motoko or Naru.

*** 

The second run of the afternoon, Motoko's 'punishment' run, had been the hardest physical thing that Keitaro had ever done. Crumpled on the ground outside Hinata House, his muscles almost audibly screaming for oxygen, he reluctantly recalled the death-march Motoko had forced on him. The distance hadn't been too bad, about five miles, but it had felt like fifty. She had run harder than she ever had before, to the point she was struggling, and warned him what would happen if he didn't keep up.

He had managed, barely, to keep pace, but it had resulted in his body's present state of physical devastation. He was wheezing, unable to get his wind back no matter how hard he tried. He wanted to get up and walk around to alleviate some of his discomfort, but his exhausted leg muscles weren't having any of it. He had to accept just laying there, gasping for air like a freshly landed fish, only without the energy to flop around. As he lay there, he recalled what had lead to this symphony of pain.

'I guess I shouldn't have compared her family legacy to leeches,' He thought bleakly. 'I said that, and then Naru was there and…Naru?! I forgot all about her!' he realized. Keitaro figured that this was because his mind had been focused on keeping him alive during that run.

As his mind dealt with his body, it was able to place more of its resources into insuring that he never provoked that reaction from Motoko again. 'After I said hello to Naru, Motoko reverted to her old teaching style, only even worse.' Keitaro had suspected that Motoko was probably developing some feelings for him, but this was the first time she'd demonstrated any jealousy towards him. 'Then again, until Naru came back, she probably had no reason to feel jealous,' he mused.

Motoko was also reviewing her own thoughts. 'Why did I do this? We were getting along so well, and I go ballistic at an innocent 'hello!'' she raged. 'I keep doing things like this, and I'll drive him back to Naru!' She gasped audibly as she completed that thought. 'I, I am jealous, aren't I?' she reluctantly admitted. 'I like being with Keitaro, and I'm afraid of losing him to Naru.'

'Why don't I just tell him? Yes, that's what I'll do,' she vowed before her shyness took over. 'But not here and now. Maybe tomorrow, yes, we'll go out, maybe a picnic, and I'll tell him then.' She nodded to herself, pleased at her decision. 'With just the two of us, there will be fewer distractions and interruptions.'

Keitaro was finally getting his wind back and sitting up when Motoko sat down next to him, her face not showing anger, but instead a mix of sadness and regret.

"Are you alright Keitaro?" she asked.

"Yes Motoko, I'll be fine shortly. Listen I'm sorry about the… leech comment," he finished.

"No, no, I over reacted to the comment and lashed out. I'm sorry. To apologize, would you like to sleep in tomorrow?"

"Sure!" he responded enthusiastically. Then he had a second thought. "What's the catch?"

"Just one," she replied.

"What is it?"

"Join me for a picnic lunch," she said softly.

After a moments thought, Keitaro said "O.K." He noticed how Motoko's face lit up at his answer. 'Maybe we should talk tomorrow,' he mused.

"Alright Keitaro, sleep late tomorrow, and we'll leave at eleven."

"Isn't that early for lunch?"

"I have a particular place in mind."

"Alright then, let's do it," he said as the corners of his mouth curled up.

"I have things to prepare then. If you'll excuse me, I'll see you later Keitaro!" she called out as she practically floated inside.

In spite of the pain he was in, Keitaro couldn't stop a smile from breaking out on his face.

End Chapter Five

Coming Soon: Chapter Six: Confessions and Consequences

And once again, Thanks to Harvey Bautista for the pre-read.

If you've read this far, you have no excuse to not leave a review.


	7. Chapter 6: Confessions and Consequences

Disclaimer: See Prologue.

Any comments, complaints, complements, flames, and credit card numbers can be sent to: hawker_748@hotmail.com Feedback and reviews would be greatly appreciated. 

Once again, I would like to thank all reviewers for the feedback that was provided. Over thirty reviews for the last chapter. Damn. Thank You All! 

This fanfic is based on the manga and anime and borrows facets from both of them.

"*" Spoken words

'*' Thoughts

Love Hina

Loss and Redemption

Chapter Six: Confessions and Consequences

By: hawker_748

**LIME CONTENT WARNING!**

For a person who has been getting before 5:00 for nearly two months, a chance to sleep in is viewed the same way that a man lost in the desert would view an oasis; salvation. This was especially true for Keitaro the next morning, as he had been run into the ground the day before. Motoko had also decided to hold a nighttime training session on the roof to make up for this mornings missed class.

This class had been unusual; in addition to the late hour, all of the other residents had attended. Kitsune, Sarah, Su, Shinobu and even Naru had all come to the roof to watch the two of them train. Where all of the spectators had been awed by Motoko's poise and grace with a sword, they had all been unimpressed by Keitaro. 

Motoko was poetry in motion; gracefully lethal, the beauty and skill of her movements were obvious to all who observed. She didn't move, she danced; with poise that a ballerina would be hard pressed to match, she flowed through her katas with absolute confidence.

Keitaro was lethal to no one but himself; with his clumsiness, there was a good chance he would eventually fall on his sword. His attempts to emulate Motoko's movements resulted in an obscene parody of her skill. He would get to where he was trying to go, but he showed no style and grace to do it. He was heavy handed, had poor footwork, and was the polar opposite to Motoko in the area of grace.

Everyone had cheered him on and encouraged him, but they were all left wondering if Keitaro had a hope in hell of impressing Tsuruko. Keitaro was also having doubts, and he was wondering if Tsuruko had knowingly given him an impossible mission. It had been nice to be cheered by the other residents, especially Naru, but they hadn't made a difference. Cheers couldn't make him dig any deeper, or work any harder; he was already giving it his maximum effort, there was nothing more he could give.

The applause at the end had been a nice touch, although it had been a little embarrassing. He hadn't known whether to blush or bow, and had eventually done neither, just thanked everyone for being there. Everyone had shouted out encouragement to him as they left the rooftop, and it made him feel better that the other residents were giving him emotional support. Thinking about how hard he was working made him realize just how tired he was. He walked back inside and had just enough strength left to clean himself up and collapse into bed.

The next morning found Keitaro and Motoko sound asleep, taking advantage of the opportunity to sleep late. Out of reflex, each of them had individually woken earlier, but then they had remembered that they didn't have to get up early. They had fallen back asleep, each of them silently cursing the loss of those precious moments of slumber. As the world slowly came to life around them, Keitaro and Motoko were oblivious to it all as they slept on, not even getting up for breakfast.

The next morning, Keitaro was enjoying the slow ascent to consciousness instead of the usual snapping awake from an alarm. His exhausted mind and body were grateful for the break in the early morning routine. While he had been going to bed earlier to compensate for the early mornings, an early bedtime didn't have the same psychological lift that a late morning possessed. He could feel sunshine on his face; normally he didn't see the sun until after the morning training session was over. He was also unusually comfortable, but since he was in no hurry to get up, he didn't expend any energy to figure out why.

Motoko was also enjoying a rare morning off, and like Keitaro, she was in no rush to get up and get out of bed either. While she would never admit it, Motoko absolutely hated mornings, and would happily sleep until noon if she were able. The responsibility of training Keitaro, as well as the image of a swordswoman forced her to be an early riser, and thusly she relished any chance to sleep late she could get. Today was one of those few mornings where she could sleep in and not harm her reputation. So she ignored the usual 'wake-up' signals that the outside world sent her. She simply snuggled down onto the futon and tried to steal a few more minutes of sleep. She was also feeling good this morning but decided to just enjoy it a while longer.

***

Up in her room, Naru was pacing nervously and looking at the clock every half minute or so. 'It's 9:30,' she thought, 'what are they doing? They didn't come down for breakfast, and no one's seen them since last night. Did they leave early?' she wondered. 'When am I going to get a chance to talk to him?'

Naru had been planning to talk to Keitaro after breakfast, but breakfast had come and gone and there had been no sign of him. More than a little curious, she'd gone back to her room with the intention of talking to him when he came out of his room. An hour went by, and then another. Every single 'tick' of the clock seemed to be mocking her. By this time, Naru's patience and concern were in an inverse relationship, and her concern was getting quite high. 

Finally, her patience reaching zero and exasperated beyond belief, she decided to use the trapdoor to talk to him, privacy be damned. She walked over to the dresser and lifted it off of the plywood that covered the hole. Pausing to take a breath and steel herself for what she was about to do, Naru lifted off the plywood and stuck her head into Keitaro's room for the first time in months.

"Keitaro, can I tal-" The final words died in her throat as what she was seeing registered with her brain. Keitaro and Motoko were asleep in each other's arms. Keitaro was on his back and Motoko's head was resting on his chest. Naru could see that the two of them weren't naked, but the sight of another woman in Keitaro's arms sent a new wave of anguish running through her. As a strangled sob escaped from her throat, she pulled her head back and recovered the hole.

Naru just sat down on her futon, stunned at what she had just seen. She couldn't reconcile what she had seen with what she knew of Keitaro. Keitaro, who had always been painfully shy around women, was sleeping comfortably with Motoko in his arms. Naru wanted to get angry, to jump down into his room and kick his ass. But instead of anger, the only way she could describe how she was feeling was 'numb'. There was none of her usual fire; in fact, the last time she had felt like this was when Keitaro and Motoko were married.

Her spirits had been buoyed by what Kitsune had told her of the training arrangement. She had hoped that Keitaro and Motoko would merely be civil to each other as they trained together. She had hoped that Keitaro had simply carried a torch for her, much like he had for his 'promise girl'. Mostly, she had hoped, no, not hoped, _assumed_, that she could walk back into Keitaro's life without any real change.

But what she had seen had shattered all of her hopes and dreams. The idea of Motoko and Keitaro staying together was no longer so outlandish, and Naru was once again regretting her decision to run away. Finally some of her anger returned. Most of it was directed at herself for practically giving Keitaro to Motoko. The rest was directed at Motoko for daring to accept what wasn't hers. Naru was acutely aware that she was angrier at Motoko than she had ever been towards anyone in her life.

She was also aware that at this particular moment, she would have given anything to trade places with her.

Then another voice entered her internal discussion; she was barely able to recognize it as her own. _'Tell him how you feel, you idiot! Nothing is going to happen if you just sit here!'_

Startled by the vehemence that the other voice had, it took Naru a moment to collect her thoughts. 'What if he doesn't feel the same way?'

'So what?' The other voice shot back. 'What do you have to lose? He's only a step or two away from sleeping, and I do mean THAT kind of sleeping, with Motoko. If that happens, you're probably dead in the water.'

She cringed as she considered that. There was more truth to that statement than she wanted to admit. 'Then what can I do?'

_'Whatever it takes! Let him know, make him think. He did care for you, right?'_

'I, I think so,' she responded hesitantly.

'Then exploit that! All's fair in love and war, and this could probably qualify as both. Now go get him!'

'I have to think about what to say first, and, and I want to do it in private.'

_'NO! DO IT NOW! Don't chicken out now!'_

Naru found herself wishing that she possessed the confidence that her other voice had. 'I have to do this right…'

The other voice interrupted her train of thought. _'Just be yourself, that's what's right!'_

Naru could almost hear the other voice gnashing its teeth. 'I'll do it my way.'

_'Don't blame ME if it fails!'_ With that parting shot the voice went away.

Naru spent the next half hour or so trying to figure out the best way to tell Keitaro how she felt about him.

***

Naru's aborted question had succeeded in completely awakening both Keitaro and Motoko. The two of them roused themselves, and then realized where they were in relation to each other. They had woken up in an embrace like this once before, but on this morning Motoko didn't violently lurch away.

The two of them stared at each other for a few moments, blushed profusely, and both of their heart rates went through the roof.

But neither made any attempt to move.

"Good, good morning Motoko," Keitaro stated quietly, with a catch in his voice.

"Good morning Keitaro," Motoko replied in a voice that was only slightly louder.

And still they stayed in each other's arms.

"It's 9:30. We better get up if we want to leave by eleven," Keitaro said with very little conviction.

"You're right," Motoko replied just as firmly.

Finally, reluctantly, the two slipped out of each other's arms, Motoko getting up first, putting on a robe and heading for the bath. As soon as she closed the door behind her, Keitaro let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

'Augh! I can't believe what I've been thinking, I can't believe what I've been DREAMING!' Keitaro had been having dreams that Haitani and Shirai would have been willing to pay a king's ransom to be able to see. Calling them 'hot' was a gross understatement. Keitaro had dreamt about girls before; his 'promise girl' of over fifteen years ago had played a starring role in his dreams since he had been a child. 

But there was nothing childlike about the dreams he was having about Motoko. These recent dreams had been vivid in their detail, and had seemed almost real. He could recall Motoko's gasps and moans, he could almost remember the taste of her sweat on his lips. Some mornings, Keitaro had needed to discretely dispose of his underwear after he woke up.

"I've got to talk to her about this or I'm going to go insane," he murmured to himself. "The picnic will be the perfect time." With this, Keitaro began to concentrate on his kendo technique as a way of clearing his mind and calming himself down. He imagined himself performing the katas that Motoko had tried to teach him, but his brain, which was charged up on hormones and liking it, decided that the subject was boring and altered it. The replacement image his brain selected made Keitaro wonder if he could get his hands on some saltpetre.

At least nothing was wrong with his imagination, a detached part of his mind noted. This had to be imagination, because he would have remembered if Motoko had ever done those katas while wearing that French Maid outfit that Kitsune had given her. Hell, he would have remembered that after a frontal lobotomy. As he sat there reviewing those images in his mind, which left little, but still too much to the imagination, he realized that a cold shower was in order.

RIGHT NOW.

Keitaro put on a robe, did his best to conceal his… predicament, and slowly started skulking to his bathroom. He was deathly afraid of encountering the other residents, especially Naru. If he encountered her, and if she noticed his excited state, she'd knock him into orbit.

Around Neptune.

***

In the women's open-air bath, Motoko's thoughts were running along a similar tangent. She was glad that there was no one in the bath to witness her blush. 'If only Keitaro was that good in reality, Tsuruko wouldn't stand a chance!' her blush deepened as she recalled what happened after he'd proved his ability with a sword. He always swept her off her feet and kissed her, but last night Keitaro had not stopped with just a kiss. 

Motoko had been having thoughts about Keitaro that would have made even Kitsune blush. When she had thought that she cared for him when he first arrived, she was ready to cheerfully run him through with her sword. But now she wasn't sure of how she should deal with these thoughts. 

'Keitaro's still exactly the same person he was when he first arrived here. But how I think of him has changed,' she mused. 'He's a good person, a kind man, and I think I've fallen for him.' She stopped to think about the possibility of being with Keitaro versus being re-instated into the Shinmei School. What was once a simple choice was no longer so clear-cut. She was becoming more and more comfortable with the idea of being Keitaro's wife, but she wasn't yet ready to turn her back on the sword either.

Motoko sighed heavily and walked out of the bath. At least she'd be able to talk to Keitaro during the picnic. She walked back into their room and started to get dressed. She was putting on her chest bindings in preparation for wearing her usual outfit, when an impulse struck her. 

Discarding the wraps, she went into her closet and pulled out a red sundress with spaghetti straps that she had never worn before. It was unlike anything that she normally wore, which meant it was perfect for today. She slipped it on and stood in front of a mirror, seeing how well it fit. 

"Whoa…"

Motoko stopped cold. 'That wasn't me,' she realized. She turned around and saw Keitaro standing in the doorway, wearing only a towel after his morning bath. His lower jaw was somewhere in the vicinity of his ankles. The stunned look on his face told Motoko that he probably liked the dress. "What do you think, Keitaro?"

Keitaro stood there awestruck for a few moments before responding with, "Wow."

"I'm glad you like it," Motoko replied with a smile. 

"Yeah," Keitaro rasped, his throat suddenly dry. He swallowed a few times before continuing. "Any advice on what I should wear?" he asked.

"Just wear what you want," Motoko replied.

Keitaro walked over to his closet and pulled out socks, a pair of underwear, a golf shirt and casual slacks. "Can you excuse me so I can get dressed?" he inquired.

Motoko rolled her eyes and replied, "Don't worry, I won't peek, unless you want me to," she said with a hint of a smile.

"You don't have to do that," Keitaro replied, waiting for Motoko to turn around before he started to get dressed. As he pulled up his underwear up under the towel, he took a look at Motoko. That dress was perfect for showing off her long, toned legs. The slender straps highlighted her graceful neck and soft shoulders. He continued pulling on his socks without conscious thought as he found himself admiring Motoko's physique.

As he was pulling up his slacks, he found himself thinking about running his hands along those shoulders, and maybe even sliding those straps off of them. He shook his head to clear that not entirely unwelcome thought, and tried to focus on just getting dressed. 'Yeah, we definitely need to talk today,' he reminded himself.

When Keitaro finished dressing, Motoko, who had almost given into temptation and peeked, turned around and nodded in approval at his outfit. "Very nice. Would you mind if we left now?" she asked. "That way we can have a nice relaxing walk and still make it in time."

Keitaro nodded in approval and they headed downstairs after Motoko retrieved a blanket from a linen closet. Once downstairs she went into the kitchen and came out with,

"A picnic basket?" Keitaro asked incredulously. "Where did you find that?"

Motoko shrugged. "It was in one of the rooms." With that the two of them walked outside, not noticing the concerned looks that graced Kitsune and Shinobu's faces.

As they were walking down the steps, Keitaro carrying the basket, Motoko the blanket, he asked her, "Where exactly are we going?"

"You'll see Keitaro," she replied coyly.

As the two of them walked through the city together, Keitaro couldn't help noticing all the admiring glances that Motoko was getting. As well, many of the men that the two of them encountered were taking a long look at Motoko and either nodding in approval or giving Keitaro looks that screamed, 'lucky bastard!' 

Motoko was attractive even when wearing her modest kendo attire, but in that red dress she could literally stop traffic. Many, many men were taking long looks at her, much to their own peril. Keitaro saw one incident where a guy walking with his girlfriend had let his eyes linger on Motoko for too long and get slapped by his pissed-off girlfriend for his trouble.

They walked on, heading out of the city, making small talk as they went. It kind of felt like a first date, even though they were 'married', sort of, and the both of them still wore the wedding rings. Motoko wouldn't have removed hers regardless and Keitaro hadn't quite been able to bring himself to remove his, even after starting the training.

The crowds got less and less dense as the urban feel was replaced with a more natural setting. The area was familiar to Keitaro, but he couldn't figure out why. By now they both had quit talking, as they were both starting to think about what they were going to say to each other later on.

The sounds of civilization had completely faded away, replaced by the sounds of nature; birds chirped, leaves rustled, cicadas sang, and through it all a faint roar that was ringing bells in Keitaro's mind, and he wracked his brain to figure out why. He finally gave up and asked Motoko, "Why do I recognize this place?"

"Don't you remember the time I mastered that technique of my sister's?" replied Motoko.

With an almost audible 'click', the memory came rushing back to Keitaro. When Motoko had had her blade stopped by Tama-chan of all things, she had run away to this area to train. The 'Motoko Rescue and Return Brigade' consisting of Su, Sarah, and Tama-chan, and himself had followed her and brought her back to Hinata house, but not before she had tried to kill him and eventually perfect Tsuruko's technique.

"Yeah, now I do," he responded. "You came out here to do some training right? Scared me half to death with that 'Cutting Evil' technique."

"That's right," she replied. "Listen, I'm sorry I did that without your permission, and I…"

"Don't worry about it," he said dismissively. "You figured it out, and no harm was done. But why all this way for a picnic?"

'It's isolated, and I don't want anyone interrupting what I have to say.' "I thought it was nice calm place, and I've wanted to come back and just relax."

Keitaro looked around for a minute and then replied, "You're right, it is nice and peaceful. Shall we?" he asked as he hefted the picnic basket.

"Yes."

They decided to set the blanket down in the shade of a large oak tree and then they sat down and Keitaro opened the basket and took note of the contents inside.

"Sandwiches?" he asked Motoko.

"It seemed appropriate for a picnic," Motoko replied quietly, studying the hem of her dress.

Noticing that Motoko seemed to be a little embarrassed, Keitaro tried to put her at ease. "They look good, they look good!" he blurted out. "I, I'm just a little surprised that you made them, that's all." He was relieved when she seemed to relax a little at this comment.

They each took a sandwich and a bottle of water and they ate in silence, as they both enjoyed the surroundings. 

Keitaro was outwardly calm, but inside his heart and mind were racing. 'What do I say?' he wondered. 'Motoko I think I'm falling for you, but I still like Naru? I like being married to you and I don't want to end it? I can't stop thinking about you? I don't know what I feel?' He sighed softly. 'This seemed easier before I actually had to do it.'

Motoko's thoughts were following a parallel course. 'You're special to me Keitaro. No, that isn't right. You don't have to impress Tsuruko, I don't mind being married to you. That isn't right either.'

As they were both thinking about what to say, they both idly reached into the basket for another bottle of water. Their hands briefly made contact, startling both of them out of their ruminations. For a few moments neither of them moved. They didn't make an attempt to increase contact or to pull their hands back.

It was at this impasse that Motoko decided it was time for her to say what she needed to say. She withdrew her hand and stood up, taking a breath to calm her nerves before she started. "Keitaro, I think we need to talk."

Despite the fact that he had been thinking the same thing, that phrase coming from Motoko still sent an involuntary shudder down his spine. Keitaro wasn't certain why; he figured maybe it was an automatic response hard wired into the male brain. "What about?" he asked, although he had a pretty good idea already.

"About us, our relationship."

"I agree, that's part of what I wanted to do today."

Motoko blinked in surprise. "Really?" she asked.

"Yes," Keitaro replied as he stood up and started to pace in order to keep his nervous energy in check.

Somewhat reassured by this admission, Motoko continued, "We weren't married willingly, correct?"

"Correct."

"But at the same time, neither of us was absolutely against it either."

After a moment, Keitaro replied, "Yes. I, I think you'd make a good wife, Motoko."

Motoko blushed slightly and smiled at this comment. "Thank you. When this started, I would have been happy to have a chance to end this, but now…"

"Now what?" Keitaro asked when Motoko just let the statement hang there.

"I'm, I'm starting to care for you Keitaro," she replied at only a hint over a whisper.

Keitaro stood there and let that piece of information sink in. Based on that, he quickly recalled the previous two months and certain events took on a new significance when viewed from the new perspective. For a few minutes he had no idea how to respond to that, but then he figured that Motoko was being absolutely truthful, and she deserved nothing less from him.

"I think I feel the same way," he replied softly. Keitaro stared at the tops of his shoes as he added, "You're a wonderful woman Motoko, I don't know any guy who wouldn't think so."

Motoko froze and held her breath, suddenly very afraid. That statement had sounded like there was going to be a 'but…' attached to the end of it.

"And I, I guess I'm just like any other guy Motoko."

Motoko stared at him in disbelief. 'Did, did he mean what I think he meant?'

"I'm, I'm starting to have feelings for you too, Motoko," he said quietly.

Time stopped for Motoko. She no longer heard the wind, birds or the waterfalls. All she could hear was the beating of her heart, and she realized that tears were threatening to burst forth any moment. 'He, he, he cares for me? I'm not dreaming, he said he has feelings for me!'

"But I don't know what we should do about it," he added quietly.

Motoko's elation came to a screeching halt at that statement. "What do you mean?"

"Do you honestly know how you feel about me?" he asked. "Have you thought out what that could mean to you and your future? And can I be absolutely honest with you?" Motoko nodded faintly and so he continued. "You must know I had feelings for Naru."

"Yes, it was obvious," she replied numbly.

"I think I still do, but I know I have some feelings for you, but I have no idea what to think or what to do," he said miserably. "There have been times I missed her terribly, but there have been times I've wanted you so much it hurt."

"You've wanted… me?" At this point Motoko felt like she was on a roller coaster from all of the emotional ups and downs she had experienced.

"Yes," Keitaro admitted softly while blushing as red as a lobster. "I, I don't know what to make of these feelings."

Keitaro's revelation made Motoko blush, but the thought of Keitaro wanting her gave her a greater thrill than she could ever remember having. It also caused her to recall some of her own fantasies about Keitaro. She forced herself to try to calm down and approach the situation objectively. When that failed, she decided to say the first thing that came into her mind. "What happens now?"

Keitaro sighed as he considered a response. Finally he said, "I don't know."

Motoko didn't respond to that. She was slightly disappointed, as it wasn't what she'd hoped for. At least now she knew for certain that he cared, and perhaps that would grow into something more.

Keitaro felt like he was in an impossible situation, torn between his feelings for Naru and his growing fondness for Motoko. The fork in the road he had reached had two different paths, one that was familiar and a second path that held the prospect of high risk, but also high reward. He didn't know if he was ready to leave the familiar path that he had walked before.

The two of them were emotionally drained by their heart to heart talk, and they both headed for the blanket to sit down and try to figure out what to do now. And that's when fate threw them one last curveball.

As Motoko stepped onto the blanket she tripped on a tree root the blanket was resting on. As she fell, Keitaro rushed to grab her and break her fall. He managed to reach her, but he also tripped over the same root and lost his balance as well. When the dust settled, Keitaro was on his back with Motoko in his arms, sprawled on top of him, their faces just inches apart.

When his head stopped spinning, Keitaro found himself staring into Motoko's eyes. A breath caught in his throat. 'My God, she's …beautiful.' Her hair had fallen down in a cascade to form a silken canopy around their heads, with a few loose strands covering her face. Almost of it's own accord, Keitaro's right hand slowly came up and gently brushed those strands away from her eyes. Keitaro then slowly rotated his hand and gently caressed Motoko's left cheek with the backs of his fingers.

Motoko closed her eyes and let out a shuddering breath at the softness of Keitaro's touch. She reached up with her left hand and gently took his right hand into it. She slowly twisted it and placed a feathery kiss upon the scar on his palm.

Gasping at the feel of Motoko's lips on his hand, Keitaro was momentarily rendered immobile. Once again, his body took the initiative that his brain lacked, slowly moving his hand back towards her neck and once there, gently grasping the back of it while his fingers intertwined with her hair, and he pulled her head towards his. She offered no resistance whatsoever. Angling his head slightly to avoid bumping noses and closing his own eyes, Keitaro would later have claimed that it had to have been ten minutes before his lips came into contact with Motoko's. 

When their lips met, both of them opened their eyes wide, mostly as a shocked reflex of what was happening. In a heartbeat, and in perfect unison, they both closed their eyes and continued with the kiss.

Motoko thought about her previous kisses, first with Su's 'Krishna-chan' contraption, and then Su herself. The first one had been an infuriating experience, as it was unexpected and unwanted, and she had taken out her rage on the machine that had done it. The second kiss had been a little better, but Motoko had no interest in kissing girls, had felt slightly violated, and had been secretly crushed that her first two kisses had been disappointments. 

Keitaro also reflected on his previous kisses with Mutsumi and Naru. His first kiss with Mutsumi had been an enormous shock, as he'd had no idea it was coming, and Naru's reaction had poisoned any possible romantic mood. His first kiss with Naru hadn't been much better as it had occurred only when Sarah had literally kicked their heads together. They'd both been lucky that they hadn't chipped a tooth in the experience.

But for the both of them, this kiss was what everyone wished a first kiss could be like. It was soft, gentle, and fuelled by an uncertain but genuine attraction. At some point one of them, or perhaps both of them, they honestly weren't sure, gently eased their tongue into the others mouth. This brought the both of them into uncharted territory, but neither seemed to mind the exploration. 

Motoko quit holding herself up with her hands and let herself rest completely on Keitaro, moving her left hand behind his neck and her right to his left shoulder. Keitaro left his right hand where it was and moved his left hand around her waist, and then slowly slid it up until it was resting on the exposed skin of her back. He also became aware that another important decision maker in every man's life had taken notice and was now the source of great discomfort. Motoko noticed this new presence against her leg, but she didn't raise any objection at all.

For Keitaro, what made this kiss truly memorable was Motoko's hair; it was like black silk, and while Naru also had nice hair, it couldn't begin to compare with Motoko's. It was an ebony curtain around his head, and as nice as it had felt on his back, the sensation was at least ten times nicer on his face. He heard her moan softly into his mouth, and she was starting to slowly move against his body, causing all sorts of sparks to shoot up his spine. The moans were even sexier than he had dreamed they would be, and he realized that his left hand was pushing one of the straps off of her shoulder.

At this point, the last objective part of Keitaro's brain, which was in imminent danger of being washed away in the flash flood of desire coursing through his system, made it's final effort to stop what was happening. 'Are you absolutely sure about this?!' his mind screamed, before it's final resistance was overrun. This last ditch effort somehow managed to create just enough doubt in Keitaro to give him pause.

When Motoko broke off the kiss for some air, Keitaro placed his right hand on her cheek. He did this because it meant she couldn't just resume the kiss. He was flushed, aroused, and his breathing had gone shallow; one look at Motoko told him that she was in the same boat. Going against his body's urgent demands was incredibly difficult, but he managed to do it. 

Just.

He also knew that if Motoko pushed the issue even slightly, he wouldn't be able, or willing, to resist any further.

While he tried to get his ragged breathing under control, he rasped out, "Are, are you sure about this Motoko?" He was almost desperately hoping that she would say 'yes' and then the two of them could resume.

This was not to be, as she paused for a moment and asked, "What, what do you mean?"

"Are you absolutely certain you want this? Without a doubt?" By this time the fire had started to ebb away slightly, and control was just a little easier.

"I, I don't know, but don't you want this? Don't you want me?"

"With every fiber of my being, but not if it will hurt you. I don't want you regretting this for the rest of your life."

Keitaro's words caused the same kind of doubts to enter Motoko, and while part of her was pleading to continue where she had left off, the rational part of her mind eventually won out. "I can't say for certain," she said softly.

"Then don't. If you're not certain, don't. I don't want you to resent me. If we do end up making love, I want it to be because you want it, not because you feel you must."

The two of them stayed in an embrace while she considered that. "How will I know?" she finally asked.

Keitaro thought for a moment and replied, "You know that little nagging voice in your head?"

"Yes."

"You won't hear it at all."

Motoko smiled in spite of herself. "So what happens now?"

"I, I guess we take it a day at a time, keep training, and see what happens."

"Keep training?" she asked.

"If you decide you don't want me, I'll still have to impress Tsuruko," he replied weakly.

"And what of Naru?"

"Same thing, just see what happens."

Motoko rested her head on Keitaro's chest, closed her eyes and listened to his heartbeat. It was rapid, but it was slowing down, much like her own. She realized that the experience had been draining both emotionally and physically, and she felt herself falling asleep. She decided to sleep where she was as it was quite comfortable, and she liked the feel of Keitaro's arms around her. By the sound of his breathing, Keitaro was starting to doze off as well, and that was fine with her. As she nodded off, the last thought that went through her mind was how peaceful she felt.

***

When the two of them woke up about two hours later, they packed up the rest of the lunch, shook the blanket off, and started the walk to Hinata House. The walk back was noteworthy, mainly because they walked most of the way back holding hands, with their fingers interlocked. When they got closer to Hinata House however, the two of them separated, somewhat reluctantly, and walked with a little more distance between them. They didn't feel like advertising that their relationship had changed, and they both figured that Kitsune didn't need any more ammunition to tease them with.

When they reached the bottom of the steps, Motoko asked Keitaro to stop, took a quick look around to make sure the coast was clear, and gave him a kiss. Then the two of them split up and started to walk up the steps. Keitaro was wearing a soft smile and feeling thankful that Motoko hadn't worn make-up and thus left any incriminating souvenirs on his face and clothes.

When they got back inside Kitsune took a look at the time, raised an eyebrow, but said nothing, turning her attention back to her horseracing. As Motoko went to the kitchen to put the leftovers into the fridge, Naru nervously approached Keitaro.

"Could I talk to you for a minute?" she asked. Internally, Naru was still desperately trying to think of what to say to Keitaro.

"Sure," replied Keitaro, who wasn't really focused at the moment, still thinking about what had happened that afternoon with Motoko. He followed Naru upstairs and into her room without really thinking about it. Naru closed the door behind her and as an afterthought locked it. "What's this about?" he asked.

The question was barely out of his mouth when he was shoved back against the wall and found Naru's lips against his own. 'Her lips feel different from Motoko's' the clinical part of his brain noted dryly as the rest of his higher functions crashed. There was such urgency and need in this kiss that Keitaro found himself kissing back, and wrapping his arms around Naru's waist. About a minute later Naru broke the kiss and moved out of his grasp.

"I think I might love you Keitaro," Naru interrupted. "Losing you once hurt, I don't want to have to go through that again."

Keitaro closed his eyes and muttered, "When it rains it pours."

"Pardon me?"

Keitaro looked up with a sickly smile and replied, "You're not the first person to say that to me today."

Naru's eyes opened wide and her hands flew to her mouth. "Mo, Motoko said it too?" she asked weakly.

Keitaro didn't say anything, but his silence spoke louder than any scream.

"What did you say?" she asked in a hoarse whisper.

Keitaro sighed. "The truth. That I'm starting to care for her, but that I've also missed you terribly. Neither of us knows what to do, so we'll just see what happens."

"But what about us? What about what we had?"

Keitaro was silent for a moment. "We never really had anything did we?" he asked weakly. "Aren't, aren't we 'just friends'?"

Naru felt the room spin as she considered that. But as bad as it seemed, there was some reason to have hope. "You haven't decided, have you?" she asked.

Keitaro shook his head. "I don't know what to do or think. I guess I'll know when the time comes."

Naru found that she had nothing that she could say to that, and so she walked out of the room, leaving Keitaro alone with his thoughts.

Keitaro stayed where he was, his mind attempting to assimilate all that he had heard today. Finally, he walked out of Naru's room and encountered Motoko as she was walking down the hall.

"What were you doing in there?" she asked uneasily.

"Experiencing deja-vu."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean we had almost the same conversation that the two of us had earlier."

Motoko went pale for a moment, but recovered quickly. "Why are you telling me this?" she asked weakly.

"Because you both deserve the truth."

Motoko thought about that for a minute. 'So now Naru finally admits she cares for him,' she thought bitterly. 'Only says that she wants to be his when I show interest in him.' She sighed as she considered the odds of Keitaro being willing to walk away from his first love. She looked at him, did her best to put on an upbeat front and said, "Thank you for your honesty. Now, I think we should get some more training done, wouldn't you agree?"

"I guess so, but now?"

"No time like the present Keitaro," she said as she turned and walked away, leaving a confused Keitaro behind her.

She walked into her room and changed into her kendo outfit. But as she was walking out of the room, her eyes fell upon the short sword on the rack. She found herself walking over and picking it up; she hadn't touched it since that fateful night months ago. Unlike that night, it was warm to the touch and felt comfortable in her hands. She closed her eyes and thought back to that night, which had been the absolute lowest point of her life.

Blood. There had been so much blood that night. But not hers, as she had originally intended. Keitaro's. He had accepted terrible injuries to protect her from herself. His hands bore the scars from that night. She had even kissed one of those scars a few hours ago.

She remembered kissing that scar, and then Keitaro, fondly. It had been wonderful, the highest point of her life so far. She had gone from the nadir of her existence to the zenith in just two short months. Only one person had the ability to rescue her, it seemed, both physically and emotionally.

She knew she was in no danger of returning to that depth of despair, but she realized that she was on the brink of falling from these heights. The sword she was holding had almost destroyed her physically. Now she was at a point in her life where she was about to damage herself emotionally.

'I love Keitaro,' she admitted to herself. 'But to become what I once was, I have to give him up. Or do I?'

She walked over to the drawer where she kept Tsuruko's letter, and re-read it carefully, considering exactly how her sister had phrased it.

"It, it doesn't say I have to give up Keitaro, it only says I can!' she realized excitedly. 'It's my choice!' She shook her head as she finally figured out what Tsuruko had been up to. 'Sister, I don't know whether to hug or strangle you.'

Motoko felt a great weight lift from her shoulders. She was free to do what she wanted. 'But what does Keitaro want?' she wondered. "Would he choose me or Naru?' She honestly wasn't sure, but she decided that she would make sure that he chose her. 'Naru wasted her chance with Keitaro, now it's my turn!'

Motoko put the sword back on the rack and started for the roof. She was standing prouder than she had in months, and with a purpose in her stride. Naru had thrown down the gauntlet, and Motoko would be damned if she wasn't going to pick it up.

End Chapter Six

Coming Soon: Chapter Seven: All's Fair In Love and War

When I say coming soon, I mean, think up to three weeks. It's getting nuts at work, and I'm known for pulling forty to fifty hours of overtime in two weeks. You do the math. The next chapter is coming, just not as quick as some of you might like. Sorry.

Yet again, thanks to Harvey Bautista for pre-reading this chapter. The drinks are on me, man.

Blah, Blah, Blah, Please Review, Blah, Blah, Blah.


	8. Chapter 7: All's Fair In Love and War

Disclaimer: See Prologue.

Any comments, complaints, complements, flames, and credit card numbers can be sent to: hawker_748@hotmail.com Feedback and reviews would be greatly appreciated. 

Once again, I would like to thank all reviewers for the feedback that was provided. 

This fanfic is based on the manga and anime and borrows facets from both of them.

"*" Spoken words

'*' Thoughts

Love Hina

Loss and Redemption

Chapter Seven: All's Fair In Love and War

By: hawker_748

**LIME CONTENT WARNING!**

Later that evening, Keitaro was laying on his futon thinking about what had happened earlier. Two incredibly beautiful women had kissed him, and had told him that they cared for him. While this might have seemed to be a dream come true for most warm-blooded males, if one stopped to really think about it, this was actually quite a complicated situation. What made matters even more difficult was that he cared deeply for both of them in return.

Naru Narusegawa. Beautiful and witty, she had been the sun in his sky for a long time. While thinking back to their first meeting in the bath still made him cringe in embarrassment, he couldn't even imagine a life without knowing her. He loved to see her smile; when they got along, he felt like he could fly. When she was upset with him, the pain in his heart dwarfed the pain she usually inflicted on him. 

That was the main problem in their relationship; Naru was either affectionate with him or attempting to make him the first man in orbit without a spacecraft. 'I wish things could have been easier for us Naru,' he reflected. It's a pity that I seem to have a gift for sticking my foot into my mouth.'

Keitaro then started thinking about the other important woman in his life. Motoko Aoyama. Attractive and graceful, the two of them had gotten off on an even worse footing than him and Naru. Where Naru had been content to just deck him, Motoko had appeared quite ready to kill him. There had been times when he suspected that the only things keeping him alive were witnesses and the potential difficulty in disposing of his corpse. 

She had eventually become more accepting of him and had even started to grow fond of him, before a strange twist of fate had forced them together. An attempt to deceive Motoko's older sister Tsuruko had backfired when she had forced the two of them to marry in a ceremony of uncertain legality.

While Keitaro would admit that being married to Motoko wouldn't have been such a bad thing, he had still been carrying a torch for Naru. The thought of losing her had been emotionally devastating. But as bad as it had been for him, it was far worse for his 'bride'. Motoko had also been banished from the Shinmei School, and had everything she had ever worked for ripped away. 

He had been forced to act as a crutch for Motoko, something he couldn't bring himself to resent, even saving her life in a suicide attempt. The sadness he'd felt at having to temporarily let Naru go had been replaced with acceptance of Motoko, then affection, and possibly even love. Without intention, he'd fallen for Motoko, and he was now willing to spend the rest of his life with her.

The only problem was, he had realized that he still cared for Naru, and he couldn't just let her go. He was now in the unfortunate situation of having to choose between the two of them. But he didn't want to, at least not now. If he made a choice, the possible consequences would be enormous. Hinata House would never be the same, and every resident would be affected. It was better to stay the course, and hope that things would work themselves out on their own.

'So what now?' Keitaro wondered. 'Am I supposed to make a decision? And how do I do that? Flip a coin? Rock-paper-scissors?' He snorted at that thought. 'That's just stupid. Maybe things will be easier in the morning.' With that thought, Keitaro slid under the covers and prepared to turn of the light and go to sleep.

At this point Motoko walked in and started getting ready for bed. "Ready for another early class tomorrow?" she asked as she started to get undressed.

'Back to the early grind.' "Yeah, I'll be ready," he replied, although his tone indicated that he had liked being able to sleep in today.

Motoko gave him a winning smile. "Glad to hear it," she said as she removed her hakama and started unwrapping her bindings with her back to him. 

Keitaro looked up and froze when he realized what he was seeing. Transfixed, he watched as her wrap was removed, layer after layer, until only the smooth skin of her back was visible. Without turning around, but making no attempt to cover up either, she walked to the dresser clad only in her panties. She reached into a drawer and pulled out not her usual nightshirt, but a bra. 'Jesus,' he thought, 'I know that bra!' He had bought it for Motoko as a Christmas present.

Motoko looked over her shoulder, saw Keitaro gaping at her, and had to work hard to keep from laughing. 'He's cute when he's flustered,' she considered. She put her arms through the straps, pulled it into place and called out to him. "Keitaro, could you help me please?"

Keitaro's brow twitched once. "Excuse me?" he replied quietly.

Motoko looked straight at him and said, "Could you come here and do this up for me?"

For a split second, Keitaro's heart stopped. Then it started beating like a jackhammer. His blood pressure could have inflated a tire. "Alright," he croaked out, his throat as dry as cotton. He slowly stood up and started walking towards Motoko, remembering how embarrassed he had been buying that bra. It had been a humiliating experience, hearing all those snickers from the women in the shop. When that clerk had asked him if he was certain that this was his size, he'd wanted to die right there. Then she had given the knife another twist and said that he'd probably look better in a red lace teddy.

When he'd given it to Motoko, he'd never expected to see it again, except maybe in the laundry, never mind being asked to do it up! As he grasped each of the ends in his trembling hands, he rasped out, "Which ones?"

It took Motoko a moment to realize he meant which loop on the strip he should hook into. "The first one," she replied. She felt him hook it together and was little disappointed that he had barely touched her. 'He's probably just being a gentleman,' she thought to herself in consolation.

For Keitaro, it had taken all of the willpower he had to stop herself from letting go of the straps and gently running his hands along Motoko's smooth skin. Even now his hands were reaching out to touch her, despite his brain screaming at them to cease and desist. Finally, they acknowledged the orders and fell to his sides, not a split second before Motoko turned around.

"Time for bed," she said, and proceeded to walk over to the futon and lay down on it.

After a moment, Keitaro walked over as well, all the while trying to use his hands to nonchalantly conceal a sign of his excitement from Motoko. He figured that she probably knew it was there, but it was still kind of embarrassing walking around with one. He lay down, quickly covered himself to the waist, and reached over to turn out the light. "Goodnight Motoko," he said as he turned off the light.

He put his head down on the pillow when he felt what seemed to be silk fall against his face. He realized it was Motoko's hair just before he felt her lips press against his own. He felt his arms reach up and embrace Motoko as he returned the kiss willingly.

Much too soon for Keitaro's liking, Motoko broke the kiss, placed her lips next to his ear and whispered "Goodnight Kei-kun," in a throaty voice that nearly turned his blood to fire. She then rested her head on his chest, wrapped her arms around him, and snuggled in close.

Keitaro kept her in an embrace as he struggled to calm himself down. 'Mint,' he thought idly to himself, 'she must have used my mouthwash.' He lay there, just enjoying the feeling of closeness, and thinking back on what had occurred earlier. He and Motoko had gone for a picnic, admitted that they cared for each other, and had almost ended up making love.

Then, when they had gotten back to Hinata House, Naru had kissed him, admitted that she cared for him, and had said that she didn't want to lose him. That one revelation had thrown his mind for a loop and had reminded him of how much he cared for Naru.

All and all, it meant that despite how tired he was, and how nice it felt to have Motoko in his arms, sleep didn't come easy that night.

***

The next morning Naru was awakened by the sounds of Keitaro and Motoko heading for the roof to train. She sat there for a few moments, trying to figure out a way to talk to Keitaro without Motoko being there. In a flash an idea came to her. She got up and stealthily walked into Keitaro's bathroom. Finding the water supply handles, she turned off the flow to the little bathroom. A pair of quick hard twists, and the handles snapped off. She then crept back into her room and waited to start the next phase of her plan.

A little over a hour later, Keitaro walked into his bathroom and discovered, to his chagrin, that there was no water, and that he'd have to replace the handles. He decided to go have breakfast and ask for permission to use the outdoor bath after everyone was done with it.

At the breakfast table, Keitaro's enjoyment of the food was marred by how filthy he was feeling and by Kitsune's cracks about making sure that he was downwind of her. He noticed that Naru wasn't present at the table, but he didn't think too much about that. After eating, he gratefully walked into the outdoor bath and delighted in getting himself clean again. After washing, he just sat there and soaked, trying to sort out all of the confusing feelings he was having. 

Sleeping next to Motoko felt… right somehow, but Naru had been his first real love, and he couldn't easily let her go. 'Pity I can't have both of them,' he thought to himself. At this thought, his mind immediately visualized having the both of them at the same time. 

Literally.

The resulting rush of blood to his face and someplace else caused him to wonder if his other organs were getting enough blood. 'I didn't mean like that!' he yelled internally at his mind, which had developed a real perverted side recently.

His ruminations were disrupted when he heard the unmistakeable sound of someone entering the bath. 'What the Hell? I put up the sign!' His mind ran through the probable scenario if he was discovered. Surprise. Screams. Ballistic flight. Extreme pain and embarrassment. He looked around desperately, trying to find a place to hide before he was discovered. If anyone found him in here, it'd be his fault, even with the sign up, he always ended up…

"Hello Keitaro."

Naru's voice cut through all of his mental ramblings like a razor. He looked up and saw her standing there, naked. She was kept semi-decent only by the way her hair was falling over her shoulders and the steam rising from the water. Keitaro stood there completely stunned. Naru was standing naked in front of him with a pleasant expression on her face. There was no hint of impending shock, anger, or violence. Just that soft smile that had always made him feel like he was on top of the world.

Remembering that she had talked to him, Keitaro wracked his brain for a suitable reply. "Didn't you see the sign?" he asked weakly.

"Yes I did," she replied.

"Then why…?" he broke off, unable to finish the question.

"I wanted to see you."

Keitaro just stood there for a minute, thinking about that. He lowered his head to avoid staring at Naru…

…and then realized that she could 'see' more of him than was probably appropriate. He yelped and quickly sat down, his face going beet-red. "AUGH, I'm sorry Naru!" He put up his hands and prepared for impact. Which never came. He lowered his hands and saw Naru walking towards him, still smiling.

"You don't have to be, you know how I feel about you," she replied calmly.

'Like when you threw me through the trapdoor?' his mind asked silently. His eyes widened slightly at that thought, as it had come up involuntarily. He accepted Naru's faults, Motoko's as well, without complaint because they were an integral part of what he loved about them.

The awkward situation was made even more so with the addition of the third side of the love triangle. "Kei-kun, are you all right?" called out Motoko from the changing area.

Keitaro blanched. 'Motoko?! I'm dead!' He was naked, Naru was naked; she'd take one look at this situation, jump to the wrong conclusion, and kill him. DNA would be needed to identify his remains. Realizing that there was nowhere to run or hide, he decided not to move and resigned himself to his fate. Sure enough, there she was, looking at the scene before her. She'd pull her sword out and then…

Hold it.

Where was Motoko's sword? Never mind that, where the hell were her clothes? Why was she naked? If she thought he was in trouble then she wouldn't have…

Oh.

'She must have decided to surprise me,' Keitaro mused. 'Guess she got more of a surprise than she was expecting.'

There was dead quiet throughout the women's bath. Even the wind and the cicadas had the good sense not to break the silence that now reigned supreme. Motoko and Naru stared at each other, two sets of eyes narrowing. Keitaro's survival instincts started screaming at him to get the hell outta Dodge City NOW. He stood up to leave, but then he hesitated. He cared for both of these women, and he didn't want to see any violence between them. But as he stood there paralysed, he realized that he wasn't sure he could keep the two of them apart if they decided to come to blows.

Naru glared at Motoko, much like she had before she had left. But now Motoko was glaring back at her with a look that was fiercer than any look she'd ever given Keitaro. Naru noticed that Motoko's hands were twitching, and slowly moving to her side. A chill came over her as she realized that Motoko was unconsciously reaching for her sword. Naru then belatedly realized that she was now standing on the balls of her feet and that her fists were clenched.

"What are you doing in here?" hissed Naru. She began slowly moving out of the water towards Motoko. She was trying to reach the entrance where she'd have better footing if a fight ended up breaking out.

"What about you? Didn't you see the sign?" spat Motoko. Motoko saw Naru approaching and automatically started moving around Naru, attempting to size her opponent up. If she'd had her sword with her it would have been no contest. However, she was unarmed, and Naru was formidable in hand-to-hand combat.

"I saw it didn't you?" Naru replied, venom dripping from every syllable.

At this point the two of them were slowly circling each other, looking for an excuse to commence hostilities. Naru was enraged that Motoko had interrupted her attempt to be with Keitaro. Motoko was livid at Naru for attempting to get close to 'her' Keitaro.

"Then why did you come in?" demanded Motoko.

Naru considered giving a lengthy explanation, but then decided the simple truth would work best. "For the same reason you did."

Motoko saw red at that response. She was only vaguely aware of her hand swinging up in a fast arc, barely registered the feel of the impact with Naru's cheek, and didn't even notice the 'crack' of skin against skin. She did remember a feeling of satisfaction upon seeing the surprised look on Naru's face.

For a moment, Naru just stood there, shocked at what had just happened. Then her rage flared up like a volcano, and she swung her right arm in a backhanded arc, her closed fist striking Motoko on the side of the jaw. The force of the blow sent Motoko staggering, her head knocked to one side.

The sight of the two women he cared for coming to blows finally shook Keitaro out of his stupor. Throwing caution to the wind, he started running full tilt towards the combatants, who were now trading punches. This was nothing like a 'catfight'; there was no hair pulling or scratching. There was only two women standing their ground and swinging at each other.

Keitaro had no idea how to stop the fight, so he tried placing himself between the two women, and got nailed by the both of them for his trouble. The twin blow knocked him senseless to the floor, but it had accomplished his goal of stopping the fight. Motoko and Naru's rage was instantly forgotten as a more important issue came up. They both dropped to the floor and attempted to revive the stunned Keitaro.

As they tried to help Keitaro get his bearings back, the two of them continued to glare at each other. 'STAY AWAY FROM HIM!' was the politest thought that each of them had for the other. They then looked down and saw Keitaro staring up at the both of them, the hurt look on his face probably having nothing to do with his injuries.

"Are you alright?" Naru asked a split second before Motoko.

"I, I'm alright," he replied, getting to his feet and spurning both of their offers for help. "Just leave me alone," he muttered softly.

A wave of guilt and shame washed over Naru and Motoko. Knowing that there was nothing that the two of them could say, they walked out of the bath, all of their anger temporarily burned away. Once they were gone, the only sound in the tub was Keitaro's soft sobbing.

***

After getting dressed, Motoko went looking for Keitaro. She found him sitting on the roof of Hinata House, lost in thought. She considered joining him but vetoed the idea, figuring that Keitaro only went up there when he wanted to be alone. She headed back to her room, her anger returning as she remembered what Naru had attempted. The fact that she had done exactly the same thing was irrelevant to her.

Once inside she began to pace as she considered the possible implications of Naru taking a more active approach with Keitaro. 'I would have never figured on her doing something like that,' she mused. 'Kitsune, sure, but Naru?' She shook her head as she realized that she'd underestimated Naru's determination. She needed to do something that would prevent Naru from making another move like that. As her jaw throbbed, she also made a mental note that from now on, she'd take her sword everywhere.

Motoko stopped in mid-stride as an idea hit her. She took a minute to consider the possible outcome, and then nodded to herself as she realized that this idea would kill two birds with one stone. It would keep Naru and Keitaro apart and it would bring him and her together.

It would even help with his kendo a little.

And so, for the next half hour, Motoko was a whirlwind of activity, getting what she needed for her plan ready. Finally finished, she put the required equipment into the closet and closed it. Fate seemed to be smiling on her as Keitaro entered the room at that moment, meaning that she didn't even need to go get him.

Satisfied that everything was ready, Motoko launched the next phase of her plan. "Are you alright Kei-kun?" she asked.

Her use of the honorific stopped him cold. "Kei-kun?" he repeated.

"Is something wrong with that?" Motoko asked innocently.

"No, no, nothing at all," Keitaro replied. 

"Kei-kun, I, I'm sorry for hitting you in the bath. It was an accident," she said apologetically.

"I know," he replied. 'You and Naru were trying to clock each other, I just got in the way.' The thought depressed him even further, as it reminded him of the conflict that he had unwittingly set in motion.

"Kei-kun," Motoko continued, "would you like to a chance to really improve your abilities and get away from all of the distractions for awhile?"

Keitaro considered what she was saying. He remembered the battle in the bath, and he wasn't stupid enough to think that this had had nothing to do with Motoko's suggestion. That coupled with yesterday's revelations made it certain that Motoko was taking the gloves off in her relationship with him. Curious about what Motoko had in mind Keitaro asked, "What do you mean?"

Motoko took a deep breath to steady her nerves and said, "Would you like to come with me on a training trip? Just the two of us?"

'Thought so.' Still, the idea of spending time with Motoko was pleasant; he did like her, possibly even loved her, and the idea of just the two of them… 'No, I shouldn't, what would the others think?' Then another idea occurred to him. 'It might give me some time to think about what I have to do, and at least Motoko and Naru won't be fighting.'

With this thought going through his mind, he nodded and replied, "Yes, I'd very much like that, Motoko." All that he had to do was make sure that nothing happened between them. Thinking about Naru and Motoko fighting would work wonders for killing his libido.

"Do you mind leaving now?" she asked.

"Now? Why?" he replied.

"We'd be going someplace further away than that last time and it will be a longer trip." 'The sooner I get you away from Naru the better. I don't want any unexpected visitors this time.'

"But I have to get ready…"

"Don't worry, I've got everything taken care of," Motoko replied as she went to the closet and pulled out the two backpacks she had prepared. "I've got everything you need in here."

Keitaro gave Motoko a sideways glance as he took the pack from her. 'My, she's gotten quite resourceful, hasn't she?' he asked himself rhetorically. "Alright then," he said, shouldering his load. "Let's go."

The two of them walked through Hinata House to the main door. As they put on their shoes Keitaro asked, "Shouldn't we tell the others?"

"Don't worry, I left a note," Motoko said casually. She didn't mention that the note had read:

_I'm taking my husband on a training trip._

_See you all later._

_Motoko Urashima_

With that, the two of them walked down the steps and headed for the mountains of Hinata.

***

When Kitsune found the note an hour later, she found herself wishing that she had tried harder to help Naru. The way things were going right now, it wasn't looking good for her at all. Keitaro and Motoko had effectively run away together, and if Naru didn't act fast she was dead on arrival. Realizing that there was no time for niceties, she marched towards Naru's room, entered without knocking and thrust the note in her face. She was a little taken aback when she noticed that Naru seemed to have recently picked up a shiner.

"What the hell are you doing Kitsune?!" Naru demanded.

"Read it," Kitsune replied tersely.

Naru took the note from Kitsune and read it. For a few seconds there was no reaction. Then a vein appeared on her temple, her face went crimson, and the note was crumpled in her hands. "That bitch! How dare she?!" Naru shrieked. "Where is she, I'll…"

"They're gone. I don't know where," Kitsune replied tonelessly.

"We, we've got to find them, how do we…"

"Leave that to me." Kitsune walked out the door and motioned for Naru to follow her. The two of them marched into the kitchen. Without any preamble, Kitsune went up to Shinobu and ordered, "Start melting some chocolate." Unnerved by Kitsune's behaviour, Shinobu complied unquestioningly. Kitsune then went to the pantry and pulled out several bunches of bananas. "Start peeling," she told Naru.

"What is this?" asked Naru.

"Trust me," replied Kitsune in a voice that brooked no argument. Taking a bunch for herself, Kitsune then started peeling. After a few minutes all of the bananas were peeled and the chocolate was melted. "Dunk 'em," Kitsune told Shinobu.

Shinobu worked in silence, too nervous to ask questions. Naru didn't even consider asking any questions, as she knew her friend wouldn't give her an answer until she was ready. A few minutes later, there was a plate full of chocolate covered bananas cooling on a plate.

"Come with me," said Kitsune. Naru followed her wordlessly, with Shinobu tagging along, curious as to what was going on. Sarah saw the strange procession and decided to join it just for fun. When Kitsune reached her destination she stopped, knocked on the door and waited. When Su finally opened the door, Kitsune held up the plate, smiled and said, "Su, can we ask you for a small favour?"

***

After a bus ride and a couple hours of walking, Keitaro and Motoko arrived at their destination. It was a remote area that had many trees, some clearings, and a briskly running stream. There was a mountain cabin nearby as well and that suited Motoko just fine. She had heard about this place, but had never been here before or told anyone else about it. It was her secret, and she figured that this was as private a place as they could get without actually leaving the district.

They rested for a while in the shade of a tree, leaning against the trunk and eating a small meal. After the stress and tension of the war in the bath, the two of them just wished to relax and take an opportunity to try to calm down. Little was said as both of them found the solitude comforting.

After about half an hour, Motoko figured that it was time to train for a while. She started drilling Keitaro on his footwork and was surprised that there was some noticeable improvement. He'd never be mistaken for Musashi, but his footwork was no longer quite so clumsy. When she asked him what he was doing different, he thought for a moment, and then replied that he wasn't really thinking about it. He then proceeded to trip over a rock and fall on his ass.

Once an hour of working on footwork was completed, Motoko decided to see how well Keitaro could handle the blade itself. She demonstrated a simple slashing cut on a small tree that was about five inches thick; one quick slash later, and there was enough firewood for a couple of days. Keitaro then took a swing at a little sapling that wasn't even an inch thick. It took him five minutes to wiggle the blade loose after it got stuck halfway through. Another hour of trying resulted in many trees of similar sizes with large notches in them before he finally was able to take one down in one swing.

By now it was getting close to supper hour, and the two of them had worked up an appetite. The two headed for the cabin, Motoko figuring that they could make a meal from the supplies they'd brought. After dinner, she'd talk to Keitaro and tell him that she wanted to be with him regardless of the cost. She got to the cabin, opened the door and…

Motoko was familiar with deja-vu, but she had never encountered it until now. A part of her mind was chiding her for thinking that she could get away from it all that easily. Sure enough, the other Hinata House residents, even Tama-chan, were waiting for them in the cabin.

Keitaro walked in a second later and nearly jumped out of his skin at the sight of the others. "How, how did you find us?" he finally stammered after he got his mouth to work.

"Details, details," Su said dismissively as she shut her laptop, which was currently hacked into a U.S. photo reconnaissance spy satellite. The other residents called out greetings to them as Motoko and Keitaro just stood there, shocked into paralysis.

Keitaro came out of his stupor and noticed that the cabin seemed to have been retrofitted with running water and electricity, the source of which was a small black box. This box bore both the three-eyed emblem that was Su's trademark and what looked like a radiation-warning symbol. Keitaro didn't look too close as he realized that he didn't really want to know. 

Motoko was shaken out of her paralysis at the sight of Naru sitting in the cabin, smiling pleasantly at Keitaro. However, when Naru noticed Motoko staring at her, the smile evaporated from her face and her jaw muscles tightened reflexively. The temperature in the cabin seemed to plummet as Naru and Motoko glared at each other. Motoko's teeth became visible, but her expression was nothing like a smile as she demanded, "Why did you come here?"

Naru slowly stood up and through tightly clenched teeth replied, "We wanted to cheer him on in his training." Kitsune and Shinobu nodded in agreement at that reply, the two of them seemingly unfazed by the battle of wills going on in the cabin.

For Motoko and Naru, the cabin, the other residents, even Keitaro seemed to disappear. The two of them were locked into a staring match in which the loser would probably take the first hit. Naru clenched her fists and leaned forward on the balls of the feet, and Motoko quickly drew her sword in response. This prompted a panicked reaction from the others; Keitaro grabbed Motoko's sword arm and held on for dear life while Kitsune jumped up and attempted to hold Naru's arms behind her.

Motoko and Naru struggled briefly against those restraining them until Keitaro's desperate plea reached their ears. "Stop this please! I don't want this! Please, please stop!" No other person on the planet could have cut through their fog of rage. As it was, they continued to struggle for a few more seconds before finally relenting. As they reluctantly tried to calm down, they finally noticed the horrified looks on the other residents. The worst of which was on Keitaro, who looked absolutely stricken by what had nearly happened.

Not a word was spoken, as everyone was deathly afraid of unintentionally stoking the fire and causing another flare up. Shinobu had prepared dinner, but no one had much of an appetite anymore. Even Su was restrained in her eating that night. The tension in the cabin was even worse than it had been when the situation had first started. Motoko and Naru sat as far apart as they could and still remain in the cabin. Keitaro made a point of sitting in between the two so as not to be seen as favouring either of them.

After the deathwatch that was euphemistically called 'dinner', the residents had nothing that they could do but try to avoid rocking the boat. Conversation was impossible, even though that was precisely what was needed to try to defuse the situation. Keitaro realized that the current situation could not be allowed to continue, but if he tried to resolve it now, it could result in all out war. Besides, he wasn't sure how he wanted to end it anyway. For the entire evening Keitaro felt like he was trapped in a nest of vipers, and any wrong movement would be fatal.

Finally it was time for bed, and the near blow-up as well as the presence of the other residents effectively ruined Motoko's plans for that night; it also meant that there was no reason to change into the black 'baby doll' that she had slipped into her pack. Keitaro slipped into his sleeping bag, which he noticed seemed to be suspiciously large for just one person, and lay down in the center of the cabin. Naru and Motoko set themselves down on either side of him, and the others arranged themselves where ever they could find room. Tama-chan used Shinobu's sleeping bag as a landing pad and went to sleep there.

Keitaro wasn't surprised to note that both Motoko and Naru were sleeping as close as they could to him without actually joining him in his sleeping bag. He was a little surprised when Motoko kissed him goodnight in full view of the others, especially Naru. The resulting glare Naru gave Motoko before she settled down to sleep could have shattered Everest.

***

In the middle of the night Keitaro woke with a start. It wasn't the first time that he had been awakened by a dream, but this was the first one in a while that that wouldn't have needed an "X" rating. He had dreamt that Naru and Motoko were having a tug-of-war to win him, and had used him as the rope. It had felt like he was being drawn and quartered.

He noticed that he was the only one awake and that Motoko wasn't holding him in her sleep. Feeling that sleep wouldn't be possible for a while, he got out of his sleeping bag, carefully stepped over the other residents and exited the cabin.

The cool night air felt both exhilarating and relaxing to him, and this far out of the city the stars were amazing. He walked over to a tree, sat down under it and just gazed in awe at the sky. In comparison to all that was out there, his problems seemed insignificant by comparison. He'd never watched the night sky before, and he regretted that he hadn't done this earlier. As many poets could attest to, the stars could do many things to a man.

"Keitaro?"

His contemplation of the universe was interrupted as Naru called out for him quietly as she walked out of the cabin. "I'm over here," he responded. As he returned to his star gazing, Keitaro only half noticed that she walked over and sat down next to him.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Just look up," he replied.

Naru did just that and was amazed at the beauty of the heavens. Like Keitaro she had never actually just watched the stars before. Like many before her, she was struck speechless by what she saw. Millions of stars, all in their assigned places, making all who saw them feel small. Naru didn't believe in astrology, but she now understood why some believed that they controlled fate.

Thinking of fate reminded her about why she had gone in search of Keitaro when she had awoken and noticed that he was gone. "Keitaro, can I ask you something?" she said quietly.

Keitaro was disappointed that his star watching and contemplation had been interrupted, but something about the tone of her voice caused him to sit up and take notice. Realizing that this was probably going to be an exceptionally important talk, he replied, "Sure, go ahead."

"Why are you with Motoko?" No subtlety, no beating around the bush, right to the point.

Keitaro didn't want to answer that. More accurately, he didn't want to give Naru an answer to that. Still, he had to give her a reply of some sort, so he temporized a little. "We, we're sort of married, aren't we?" he replied as he indicated the gold band on his left hand.

Naru narrowed her eyes at his evasive response. "If it wasn't your choice, why are you living with her, staying with her, sleeping with her?"

Keitaro felt his own hackles rise at her insinuation. "It's not like you objected that much either," he replied. "You left without saying goodbye, and Motoko, she, she needed me."

"What do you mean 'she needed me'?" Naru asked tersely.

Keitaro opened his mouth to reply and then closed it. He thought back to that night; it had been much like this one, except he hadn't been watching the stars, he'd been trying to save Motoko's life. The scars on his hands itched as they remembered the feel of razor sharp, multi-laminated, high carbon steel. The sound of anguished sobbing resonated in his mind, along with the feeling of absolute and total despair.

A vow. Unspoken and silent, but binding all the same. TELL NO ONE. They'd kept that vow, only he and Motoko knew what had happened. Tsuruko had figured it out, but her ability to reason things out bordered on the supernatural. No one else knew or suspected how close Motoko had come to annihilating herself.

Did he care for Naru? Absolutely.

Could he possibly even love her? Yes.

Would he betray Motoko's trust for her? NEVER.

"I, I can't tell you Naru," he finally answered. "I just can't."

Naru just stared at him. When she finally found her voice again, she asked him. "Why can't you tell me? What are you hiding?"

Keitaro noticed that tears appeared to be forming in the corners of Naru's eyes. He felt a wave of guilt washing over him, and he almost answered her question. He hated to see someone he cared for suffer like this, and he'd do almost anything to end it. 

Anything but betray a trust.

"A promise. Please don't ask me Naru," he pleaded. "I, I just can't tell you, I can't tell anyone. I'm sorry, but I just can't." 'Why have I been put in a situation like this?' he asked miserably. 'Why does it seem that every choice I make causes someone pain?'

Naru couldn't bear to hear any more. The man she loved, and who seemed to love her, was keeping something important from her. If he'd only tell her why, she might understand why he did what he did. Instead, he was trying to conceal the truth from her. She felt, quite rightly, that she was at least entitled to that.

Not knowing what to say, Naru just got up and walked back to the cabin. When she reached it she looked back over her shoulder at Keitaro, and he was able to clearly see the sad and forlorn look that was etched on her beautiful features.

She carefully walked back inside and closed the door. Careful not to step on the other dead to the world residents, she got back into her sleeping bag. As she fell back asleep, she found herself wondering if there was anything else she could do to make Keitaro hers.

Back outside, Keitaro was having troubled thoughts. 'I've got to end this, I can't do this anymore!' he raged. 'I'm hurting two people I love dearly.' He paused to consider this. 'Yes, I DO love them both. So what the hell do I do now?'

Briefly, and for the first time since this whole situation had started, Keitaro found himself considering the idea of running away. Just giving up, disappearing to parts unknown. It would eliminate the rancour between Naru and Motoko, they would have to move on without him, and maybe they'd be better off without him.

'Yeah,' he mused, 'that might just work.' There was only one little problem with that. It would result in the shattering of three hearts, his included. While running away would allow for some temporary relief from this anguish, it would only prolong it. Besides, he didn't think that he could live without either of them anymore, and he had no desire to try.

He happened to glance back up at the sky and saw a shooting star streak across the sky. He remembered hearing that they could grant wishes. He closed his eyes and made a wish from the bottom of his heart and soul.

'I wish to be able to do what is right.'

He opened his eyes and saw five more shooting stars streak across the sky in almost perfect echelon formation. For the briefest of moments, he wondered if they were UFO's. Putting that nonsensical thought out of his head, he decided that it had to be good omen.

After they all returned to Hinata House, he was going to make a stand. It was time to end all of this tension and rivalry between Naru and Motoko. He was going to make a final decision, and give his heart, fully and permanently, to the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

But he was damned if he knew which of them it would be.

End Chapter Seven

Coming Soon: Chapter Eight: INTERLUDE: Shinobu's Decision

Pre-read was once again done by Harvey Bautista.

I hope to have the next chapter ready in about two weeks.

I would like to invite all readers to tell me what about this story they have found interesting, confusing, enjoyable, or disagreeable. Feel free to email me your response, or post it in the feedback section. 

OMAKE! OMAKE! OMAKE! OMAKE!

OMAKE ONE:

Motoko opened the door, causing Keitaro to jump in surprise. "Motoko, I, I didn't expect you to be back so soon," he stammered.

Motoko walked into the room and locked the door behind her. "Keitaro, stand up."

Nervously, Keitaro did what he was told.

With a voice that was sweet as wild honey, Motoko said, "Keitaro, take off my hakama."

With beads of sweat starting to appear on his forehead, he did so.

Still wearing a beatific smile, Motoko said, "Keitaro, take off my pants."

His shaking hands were barely able to accomplish this.

In a husky voice Motoko told him to, "Take off my wraps."

By now Keitaro's breathing was shallow and ragged. Willing his hands to stay steady, he was just able to remove the wrap.

In a voice that was barely above a whisper, Motoko said, "Take off my panties."

It took Keitaro three tries before he succeeded.

As soon as he was done, the smile on Motoko's face vanished, only to be replaced by a scowl that was truly frightening. She drew her sword and held it under his throat. Staring him straight in the eyes, she hissed, "If I EVER catch you wearing my clothes again…"

End OMAKE ONE

OMAKE TWO: Special Edition

Note: I originally wrote this scene while Chapter Six was in pre-read. As a result of suggestions from Harvey, I made a change in how that chapter ended. As a result, how this chapter unfolded was changed, and this scene just didn't fit anymore. I couldn't fit it in with this version, so I scrapped it. However, since I had put some effort into it, and since I realized that this scene gave me the same smirk that my coworkers have come to know and fear, I couldn't bring myself to just delete it. So now, for your reading pleasure, the lost scene from "All's Fair In Love and War."

***

"Hiya!" Su cried as she put a foot into Keitaro's face as a way of greeting. "I've got a way to stop you from being so clumsy!"

"You gonna splice his DNA with a ballerina's?" asked Kitsune with a smirk.

"Don't be silly, that would take too long. I've made a special co-ordination trainer, 'Barak-chan'!"

At first glance 'Barak-chan' appeared to be a 'Dance Dance Revolution" arcade game. In fact it WAS a 'Dance Dance Revolution' arcade game. However, the presence of a three-eyed symbol and the label "Built by Koalla" showed that it was no longer a stock arcade game.

"So how does it work?" Keitaro asked warily as he eyed the machine.

"Watch," replied Su. "Motoko, could you come here please?"

"What is it Su?" Motoko asked, also giving the contraption a critical eye.

"Please step inside so I can show how it works."

Somewhat hesitantly, Motoko stepped into 'Barak-chan'. "What do I do now?" she asked.

"Press start and follow the character on the screen."

Motoko pressed start and a digital version of her appeared on the screen. This brought a smile to her face as her digital avatar told her to follow its movements. 'Chibi-Motoko' then started performing a kendo kata, which Motoko was able to follow easily, placing her feet on the appropriate pads. This went on for a couple of minutes before the song ended. 'Chibi-Motoko' said "Congratulations! Perfect Score!" and the game ended.

"Well, what do you think?" asked Su.

"It couldn't hurt," responded Motoko. "Why don't you give it a try Keitaro?"

It seemed harmless enough, and maybe it would even help. "Sure, I'll do it," Keitaro replied as he headed for the machine.

"Wait Keitaro," Su called out, "you need to wear this!" Su handed him a headband, which he looked at curiously. 

"What's this for?"

"Special training aid," replied Su as she placed it on his head and pushed him the rest of the way onto the machine.

Keitaro pressed start and once again 'Chibi-Motoko' told him to follow her movements. He was able to match the first two moves but he missed the third one. When this happened the headband he was wearing hit him with a jarring electric shock.

"Gah! What's happening?"

"When you miss a move you get zapped," Su replied casually.

"Forget this!" Keitaro moved to get off the machine, receiving several more shocks in the process.

"Nope! You have to finish it!" called out Su as she pressed a button on her remote control. Several bars sprang up from the base of the machine, effectively trapping Keitaro inside. "Finish the song and the shocks will stop."

Keitaro, realizing that he'd soon be labelled 'extra crispy' if he didn't do something quick, tried to resume the kata. He was able to get maybe one move in five correct, but even this was just enough to give his body a bit of respite. 

While watching this Sarah had a sudden inspiration and ran for the kitchen. She came running out with a bag of microwave popcorn, which she threw at Keitaro. "Hey dork, catch!"

Keitaro grabbed the package out of reflex and missed another step in the process. 

Shinobu watched the entire spectacle with a sense of disbelief. After Keitaro let out another cry when another shock hit him, she finally was shaken out of her paralysis. "Sempai!" she cried out. "Stop this Su, you're killing him!"

Su shook her head dismissively. "It's all volts, no amps. He'll be fine."

"Don't worry Shinobu," seconded Kitsune. "Su knows what she's doing. Although…"

"What, what!?" Shinobu cried out in desparation.

"I don't think all of the hair gel in the world will be able to fix that hairstyle he's got," Kitsune replied.

Finally the song ended. 'Chibi-Motoko' scolded the player for a poor performance, said try again, and wished the player good luck. The bars dropped and Keitaro crumpled to the floor, smoking, twitching violently, and his hair slightly singed. He looked like he'd french kissed a light socket.

Sarah ran up to him, took the fully cooked popcorn from his hand, smiled warmly, and said, "Thank you Keitaro!" She then walked off as Su tried to steal some of her snack.

END OMAKE TWO


	9. Chapter 8: Interlude: Shinobu's Decision

Disclaimer: See Prologue.

Any comments, complaints, complements, flames, and credit card numbers can be sent to: hawker_748@hotmail.com Feedback and reviews would be greatly appreciated. 

Once again, I would like to thank all reviewers for the feedback that was provided. 

This fanfic is based on the manga and anime and borrows facets from both of them.

"*" Spoken words

'*' Thoughts

Love Hina

Loss and Redemption

Chapter 8: Interlude: Shinobu's Decision

By: hawker_748

Shinobu Maehara had not had an easy life. Problems with her parents had forced her to live at the Hinata House at a far too young age. When she had first arrived there, she had been shy and hardly ever talked to anyone. Gradually, she had opened up and eventually discovered that the other residents were the closest things she had ever had to a real family. 

The first time the other residents had allowed her to cook for them, she put all of her effort into it, desperate for both praise and a role in the household. When the residents had unanimously lauded her cooking, she had felt like she was on top of the world. Her parents, while not cruel, had never given her the support that she had craved. 

Receiving it from the residents had bonded her to them more than to her own parents. She felt as though she had found a purpose and a home. She was still a little lonely, but she was mostly content with what she had. Her life was pleasant enough, if a little boring. But on one fateful day her entire life changed, for better or for worse.

Her first view of Keitaro Urashima, like that of the other residents, had not been a flattering one. He had gone into the women's bath, not realizing that Hinata House was a girl's dorm, not a hotel. When Naru had discovered him, she'd flipped out and he'd bolted. He'd already encountered Kitsune and Su before it was her turn. She'd heard the commotion, walked into the hallway and come face to face with a naked Keitaro, who had a pair of her panties on his head. Hardly a stellar first impression. 

They'd all pursued him to the roof, trapped him, and exacted righteous fury over his peeping. Only after this had they learned that he was the cousin of the housemother Haruka Urashima. Like all of the other residents, Shinobu had been amazed when she'd learned that he was a student at Tokyo University. She'd gotten over her shock and had even developed a small crush on him when he'd helped her with her homework and praised her cooking. 

Keitaro was the first boy that Shinobu had found herself interested in, and he was a Tokyo University student as well. He seemed to be such a nice guy that he was virtually perfect in her eyes. First crushes can be intense emotional experiences for some girls and Shinobu was no exception. She had come to care for him in such a short time that she had no idea how quickly things could change. To Shinobu, being around Keitaro meant that all was right with the world.

She had been walking on air when he'd told her that she could get into Tokyo University, just like him, if she worked hard. His apparent kindness had made her feel wonderful, and that meant that when they all learned the truth about his ronin status, she was absolutely crushed. She'd given him her trust and he'd betrayed her.

She'd opened up to a complete stranger and he'd proceeded to tap-dance all over her feelings. She'd resented him for that and it was made even worse when he became the live-in manager of Hinata House. Shortly after that, he'd fallen into the women's bath and saw her naked. It had been an accident, but it had still happened, and it made her feel about two inches tall. She had then started to go out of her way to avoid him; leaving the room when he entered, rebuffing all attempts at conversation, and basically pretending that he wasn't there.

Keitaro had managed to talk to her when she was picking up groceries that HE had caused her to drop. She took his words of praise and threw them back in his face. She'd let out all of the bitterness and resentment she'd built up and given it to him broadsides. She had taken a guilty pleasure in how devastated he'd looked afterwards. She had enjoyed how miserable she had made him feel, mainly because it made her own depression seem not quite as bad.

No wonder then, that she was stunned to learn that Keitaro had realized that it was her birthday, and had arranged a small surprise party for her to celebrate. She'd spewed venom at him and he'd still tried to cheer her up. He'd apologized for everything that he'd done, promised to try like hell to get into Tokyo University, and asked her to smile again. 

Just like that, all of the bad feelings she'd had towards him evaporated. The initial stirrings of a crush returned with a vengeance and she'd warmed up to him again. True, he did accidentally pull a pair of her panties out of his sleeve when he'd handed her his present. This had resulted in her running away crying and him getting walloped by the other residents, but this time her sadness passed quickly and her crush remained.

***

Shinobu's feeling for Keitaro grew with each passing week; she'd tried to keep them secret, as she was aware that he liked Naru, but in her naiveté, she had no idea that her feelings were obvious. Obvious to everyone but Keitaro that is, who seemed to view Shinobu as a younger sister or cousin.

Shinobu always tried to be there for Keitaro, making him chocolate for Valentine's day, following him when he and Naru went away after failing the Tokyo University entrance exams. She'd even helped try to keep Naru from meeting up with Seta again, even though she figured it might 'free up' sempai.

When the entire Hinata House residency went to the coast for the summer, she'd pretended to drown in order to have Keitaro 'save' her and feel better. But at the last second she'd panicked and lashed out blindly, nailing him in the groin. It had made him forget about all of his troubles for a while, but he wouldn't have recommended it as an anti-depressant method to anyone.

She'd spent time with him at the festival when he and Naru had gone through one of their many rough spots. As much as she had enjoyed spending time with him, she'd encouraged him to try to work out his differences with Naru. Sometimes she wondered if she was too selfless for her own good, as she was always trying to help Keitaro and Naru get together. 

When Mutsumi had come onto the scene, she'd been intimidated by the older woman's figure, as hers was still quite modest. This combined with the fact that Mutsumi also seemed to be interested in Keitaro made Shinobu feel as though she had no chance of winning Keitaro, and she'd resigned herself to that fact.

Until Keitaro, Motoko, and Naru had come back from that challenge.

Everything had changed with that; Naru was angrier with Keitaro than she'd ever been, and Keitaro and Motoko were reluctantly married to each other. It seemed that neither was interested in him, and an opportunity for Shinobu to be with Keitaro appeared to have materialized overnight. 

When Tsuruko's second challenge was revealed, Shinobu felt like a condemned man getting a reprieve from the governor. She now had a window of opportunity; she'd support him, be there for him, and after the year was over Motoko wouldn't be interested in him, Naru was gone, and her return was uncertain. In a year she'd be a little older, probably a bit more developed, and Keitaro would notice her in a romantic light, she was sure of it!

However, her conscience saw things differently. It had been telling her that Keitaro still cared for Naru and that it was wrong for her to try to 'steal' Keitaro. She'd managed to push that thought aside, but she always remembered that, and she always had a little nagging doubt about what she was attempting.

***

Just being there for Keitaro never caused her conscience to complain. She remembered one of the days after Keitaro had returned from his run and had come into the kitchen in search of a drink.

"Sempai! How did the run go today?" she asked.

"Not bad Shinobu," Keitaro replied. He was covered with a fine sheen of sweat and was breathing only slightly harder than normal. It was a vast improvement from his first run, which had left him retching, gasping for air, and praying for the end of the world.

"Did you improve your time again?" she inquired.

"Yeah, by a couple of seconds," he answered, as he smiled the proud smile that Shinobu loved seeing.

"That's great Sempai! You'll be ready for the Boston Marathon in no time!"

Keitaro considered the idea of running twenty-six miles and shuddered slightly. "No, no, no, that's a little too long for me."

"O.K. But you're still doing great sempai," Shinobu said as she gave him her best smile. The one that she practised in front of a mirror every night to get it just right.

"Thank you," Keitaro replied, Shinobu's attempt to get him to notice her going right over his head, as usual.

Shinobu, while discouraged by yet another failure, gamely tried again. "I know you'll be able to beat Tsuruko. I believe in you!"

Keitaro didn't react to her praise the way she had hoped. He sighed, shook his head and said, "I can't beat her, I have no chance at all."

Shinobu felt her heart stop for a moment at his admission. "But, but I don't understand, what would you need to defeat her?"

After a few seconds consideration Keitaro replied, "Probably a miracle."

"Then, then, then why are you are you training sempai?" Shinobu stammered.

"Because I don't have to beat her, I just have to impress her."

"How will you do that?" Shinobu inquired.

Keitaro stopped cold at that. "You know something, I have no idea," he replied after a few seconds contemplation.

His candid admission didn't encourage Shinobu, but she did her best to not think about that. "So what will you do after you impress her?"

Keitaro didn't answer her as he opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water. Like any other guy, he didn't bother with a glass. He just drank right from the bottle, not noticing Shinobu's aghast look. Leaving a quarter inch of water in the bottle, meaning that he didn't have to refill it, Keitaro put it back in the fridge and said, "I don't know. That's too far into the future to think about, I'll deal with that when the time comes."  

"I see," Shinobu replied, slightly bothered by what he had said, and by the fact that she had also used that water bottle. Pushing this thought out of her mind she said, "Well, good luck sempai." He hadn't said he'd try to be with anyone, and she figured that this meant she still had a chance.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Keitaro said, "I've gotta get cleaned up, see you later Shinobu." He gave her one last smile and walked out of the kitchen, unknowingly leaving a melancholy Shinobu behind.

'Why can't he notice me, and know what I feel for him?' she asked herself despondently.

_'Because you're too young for him, and his heart is set on another,'_ her conscience replied.

'But we get along so well, why can't he see me as more than a little sister?' Shinobu wondered.

Her conscience seemed to shake its non-existent head. _'Because six years difference is just too much.'_

Shinobu attempted to rebut that argument with an observation she'd made about some married couples. 'But some marriages have more than twenty years difference in age!'

_'True, but they were both over eighteen when it happened. You think that he'd be willing to wait that long?'_

Shinobu responded with, 'Why not, he's waited over fifteen years for a girl he couldn't even remember!'

Shinobu's conscience sighed. _'This is still wrong, you know,'_ it said before it went away for the time being.

Deep down, Shinobu knew that her conscience was probably correct, but she also couldn't deny what she felt for Keitaro. So, despite some reservations about her actions, she continued to try to get Keitaro to notice her.

***

When Naru had returned, Shinobu felt that her chances had improved dramatically; Naru was distant to Keitaro and Motoko was enraged at his expression of concern for Naru. Everything seemed to be working in her favour; both Motoko and Naru were angry at Keitaro, and she'd given him a cold drink and some kind words when he'd gotten back from that run Motoko had forced on him. For the first time she felt hopeful that she could make the right impression with Keitaro.

But the very next day, he and Motoko had gone on that picnic together and not come back for hours. And the day after that, Motoko had taken him on a training trip. The other residents had all followed them, and when they'd found them, Motoko and Naru had nearly come to blows. Only intervention from Keitaro and Kitsune had prevented a fight from breaking out.

Like the others, Shinobu had been shocked by the open display of jealousy and violence, and when Motoko had kissed Keitaro goodnight in full view of everyone, she knew that any hope she'd had was lost. Motoko, who was normally reserved and didn't get emotional, had staked a very public claim on Keitaro. The look on Naru's face had indicated that she had wanted to do something similar with Keitaro as well.

All the effort she'd put into supporting Keitaro, trying to be there for him, to make him notice her, it had all been pointless. 'He'll never see me as a love interest,' she realized despondently. 'I'll never have his heart. I never stood a chance, did I?'

_'No, you didn't,' _her conscience replied. '_You've always known he doesn't love you, at least, not like how you want him to love you.'_

Shinobu felt tears beginning to well up. She didn't want the others to see her grief, so she rolled over onto her side with her back facing the others, clenched her fists, bit into her blanket, and let the tears come unnoticed.  

'It's all Tsuruko's fault!' she raged silently. 'If she hadn't gotten involved, Motoko wouldn't love sempai!'

_'How do you know?'_ her conscience replied. _'It might have happened anyway. Even if it hadn't, what about Naru? Do you think she would have lost interest?'_

Shinobu didn't want to have this type of conversation, but her conscience was smelling blood in the water. 'Naru is always hurting him!' Shinobu fired back. 'I would never do anything to harm him!'

_'If she was so terrible to him, why did he stay with her?'_ her conscience asked reasonably.

She really didn't like where this conversation was going. 'He, he was afraid to leave her,' she replied weakly.

_'You know better than that,'_ her conscience scoffed. _'Again, why did he stay with her?'_

Shinobu tried hard to ignore the question, but her conscience wasn't having any of it. It started hammering her, repeating the question again, and again, and again, until Shinobu finally admitted the one thing that she hadn't wanted to. With the heaviest wave of tears in recent memory flowing down her face, she said, 'Because he loved her. Because he wanted to be with her.'

_'Yes,'_ her conscience replied with a sense of finality. _'You can still be with him, you know. As a friend. He values your friendship, and it would hurt him if you took that away.'_

'He hurt me!' Shinobu spat back, her bitterness so high it left a bad taste in her mouth. 'Why shouldn't I hurt him?!'

Her conscience sighed, and said, _'Because you'll feel worse if you do. It might feel good for a while, but it'll hurt you even more in the long run. Just be there for him like you've always been. It may hurt for a while, but it will fade, and you'll remember why you care for him. It will get better, promise.'_

Her conscience was correct, the best thing to do would be to continue to support him, and learning to accept that he would never be hers. Her dream was over and it was time to wake up. 'But why couldn't it have gone the way I wanted?' With this thought, she took a deep breath and began the process of finally letting Keitaro go. It wasn't a joyful decision, but it was the right one to make. 

Shinobu then dried her tears and closed her eyes to try to sleep. As she finally nodded off, she realized that she'd never see Keitaro in the same way again, and she would never forget what she had felt for him. But he'd still be there, and she could still be near him and that was some small consolation. Besides, in her dreams she could still be with him, and he could love her the way she loved him. With this thought she fell asleep, and was able to be with Keitaro until the time came when she had to wake up.

End Chapter Eight

Coming Soon: Chapter Nine: It's Better To Have Loved and Lost, Than Never To Have Loved At All

I hope to have the next chapter posted in approximately a month.

Pre-read was once again done by Harvey Bautista.

I have also posted this story at MediaMiner.org. I am planning to have a lemon section in an upcoming chapter and I wanted a site that would allow it. The slightly sanitized version will be posted at FanFiction.net. I'm not that impressed with MediaMiner.org, as I don't believe this story should be in the Hentai category, but it's the only site I'm aware of. If anyone knows of another site, Love Hina fanfiction archive, or wants to host this story, just let me know.

I would like to invite all readers to tell me what about this story they have found interesting, confusing, enjoyable, or disagreeable. Feel free to email me your response, or post it in the feedback section.


	10. Chapter 9: It Is Better To Have Loved an...

Disclaimer: See Prologue.

Any comments, complaints, complements, flames, and credit card numbers can be sent to: hawker748hotmail.com Feedback and reviews would be greatly appreciated.

Once again, I would like to thank all reviewers for the feedback that was provided.

This fanfic is based on the manga and anime and borrows facets from both of them.

"" Spoken words

'' Thoughts

Love Hina

Loss and Redemption

Chapter 9: It Is Better To Have Loved and Lost, Then Never To Have Loved At All

By: hawker748

LIME CONTENT WARNING!

NOTE: A complete LEMON version of this chapter is posted at AdultFanFiction.net and MediaMiner.org

Keitaro never returned to bed that night after seeing the shooting stars. There hadn't been any point; he'd never be able to fall back asleep, so he decided to practice his katas. He got up from under the tree he had been resting against and treaded across the ground into a clearing adjacent to the cabin. Once there, he took a deep breath, quickly looked to make sure that none of the other residents were around, got into a ready position and drew his sword.

The highly polished steel gleamed like chrome in the moonlight, and the stars were brilliantly reflected by its surface. When Keitaro silently commanded himself to begin, the blade swept downward in a silent arc, effortlessly slicing through the air. When the blade reached the terminus of its swing, it was quickly reversed and brought back up in a soaring slash. Intertwined with these strikes, Keitaro walked in the step patterns that Motoko had tried to teach him.

While he was still nowhere near his sensei's skill level, his movements no longer resembled an epileptic seizure. For Keitaro, the katas were familiar now. In their order, repetition, and distillation of complex movements into simpler ones, Keitaro found comfort. The repetitive motions had a calming effect on him, and he hoped that calming himself down would enable him to think clearly.

Keitaro's body did its best to remember what it had been taught by Motoko, while his brain, which was only directing his movements enough to ensure that he didn't stab himself, was flooded with images of the two women he loved. He remembered from his first meeting with Naru in the bath to her questions from earlier that evening and everything that had happened in between. Motoko and Naru's displays of rage. The affectionate side that they both showed him. Even the feel of their lips against his. Especially the feel of their lips against his.  The sight of the two of them lashing out at each other in the bath.

'This isn't fair!' he raged. 'I love the both of them, but I have to choose only one!' He punctuated this thought with a particularly vicious swipe that felled a three-inch diameter tree. He didn't even notice what he had done. When the kata was complete, he repeated it without hesitation, as his mind desperately tried to think of a way out of this predicament without hurting anyone.

If he didn't make a decision soon, it was likely that they'd end up seriously hurting each other, and he'd never forgive himself if that happened. Keitaro kept repeating the kata again, and again, and again, all of the time being emotionally tortured by the prospect of what he needed to do. What he HAD to do.

XXX

'Ugh, I shoulda brought some booze,' was the first coherent thought to pass through Kitsune's head when she woke up. She smacked her lips in distaste at the feeling in her mouth and slowly oriented herself in the cabin. She glanced over at the clock. '5:47? Goddamn swordsmen and their need to train in the middle of fucking nowhere.' She'd take a climate-controlled health spa any day of the week over this 'back to nature' shit, even though Su had modernized the cabin extensively. Hell, right now she'd kill to have her own futon back. She was going to have bruises for days.

As her bleary eyes wandered over the interior of the cabin, she noted that the other residents seemed to be rousing themselves as well. There were assorted groans and grumbles from the other residents who weren't used to sleeping in cabins. Belatedly, Kitsune realized that they seemed to be missing one person. "Hey, where's Keitaro?" she asked sleepily.

At this question Naru and Motoko, who had been getting up with the agility of a pair of arthritic bronze statues, awoke instantly, as though a switch had been thrown. They both jumped to their feet, looked at Keitaro's sleeping bag and sure enough, it was empty. They then glared at each other and were about to level accusations, when they both realized that if the other had run away with Keitaro, they wouldn't have come back to gloat. Any further accusations that they might have made were forgotten as Sarah called out, "Hey look, the dork's outside!"

The female residents of Hinata House scrambled outside, and only the fact that Shinobu had been between them kept Naru and Motoko from shoving each other out of the way to get outside first. They all piled outside and stopped at the sight that was before them. Keitaro was working his way through a kata, and his movements were now a little more polished than what they had seen before. But it was the look on his face that attracted their attention. There was a frantic expression on his face and the look in his eyes bordered on madness. He also looked like he hadn't slept in a week, and the sheen of sweat that was visible was testament to his near exhaustion.

As the women watched in silent contemplation, Keitaro continued the kata without any indication that he'd even noticed their presence. He completed the final slash of the kata, placed the blade back into its scabbard, and fell to one knee breathing hard. Seconds later, he drew the blade, stood up and began performing the kata again.

"Sempai!" Shinobu cried out, concerned that if he didn't rest, he'd drop dead.

The shout broke through his intense concentration and caused him to miss his footing. This lead to him collapsing heavily into the dirt, his ragged breathing the only movement from him.

The girls all ran to his side, concern for his well being temporarily overriding all other rivalries. Motoko and Naru, their acrimony shelved for the moment due to their mutual concern for Keitaro, helped him to his feet. He looked like he'd aged twenty years in one night, and he had to lean heavily on the two women just to stay up. They managed to lead him into the cabin and laid him down on his sleeping bag.

"Keitaro, how long were you doing that?" asked Motoko in a subdued tone.

"A couple of hours," he rasped in reply, trying to get his wind back.

"You can't stay here," Naru said. "You've got to come back to Hinata House to rest." She looked over and saw Motoko nodding in agreement.

"No."

"Pardon me?" asked Motoko faintly.

"I can't go back, at least not yet," Keitaro replied. He looked up and saw the concerned looks on all of the faces, especially Motoko and Naru. "I, I have to make a decision, but I need time to think about it. I need to be alone."

Naru and Motoko's eyes widened as the implications of Keitaro's words came to them. Neither could bring themselves to speak, as they realized that heartache was imminent for one of them.

"Isn't, isn't there some other way?" stammered Kitsune.

"No," Keitaro answered with a sense of finality. "I can't let the situation go on any longer. One way or the other, this must end."

"Why, why, why can't you decide now?" Naru replied in a voice scarcely over a whisper.

Keitaro found himself unable to meet anyone's eyes as he replied, "It wouldn't be fair. Even this way isn't fair, but it might be a little less unfair."

An eerie calm descended over the little cabin. No one spoke, as everyone was afraid to break the silence. Only the faint hum of Su's portable nuclear reactor could be heard. Finally Keitaro could be heard whispering "I'm sorry," over and over like a mantra.

Wordlessly, Shinobu began preparing a small breakfast, but everyone shook their heads to indicate that they weren't hungry.

"How long?" Motoko asked when she finally gathered up the courage to speak.

"A couple of days," replied Keitaro. He was curled up in a ball, his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands.

Neither Naru nor Motoko knew what to say to that, so they reluctantly began to pack up in preparation to go home. The sight of Naru meekly acquiescing to what Keitaro had said shocked Kitsune. She grabbed Naru's arm in a surprisingly strong grip and dragged her outside.

Once she'd pulled Naru a respectful distance away from the cabin, Kitsune hissed at her, "What the hell are you doing? Why aren't you making your case to him?" The forlorn look on Naru's face was the most disconcerting thing she'd seen in a long time, and considering recent events, that was quite a feat.

"I, I can't do anything more," Naru replied morosely. "It's his decision. It's always been his decision."

"Then tell him how YOU feel!" snarled Kitsune.

"I have."

"When?" replied Kitsune, her eyes opened wide in surprise.

"When he got back from the picnic," Naru replied. "He knows I love him, and I think he loves me."

"Then why are we having this conversation?!" exclaimed Kitsune.

"Because he also loves Motoko, and she loves him."

"How do you know that?" Kitsune asked sceptically.

"She tried to give herself to him in the bath."

"How, how do you know she…" Kitsune couldn't get the rest of the question out coherently, so Naru gave her an answer.

"Because I was in the bath too, trying to do the same."

"…" was Kitsune's only response. She stood there, her jaw in the vicinity of her ankles, unable to think of a reply to that bombshell. Finally, Kitsune recovered her composure enough to speak. "Is that where you got the, uh,-" she pointed to her own eye.

"Yes."

'I really need a drink,' thought Kitsune. "What now?"

"I wait," Naru said bitterly. "He wants to be alone, and I don't want to upset him anymore. He doesn't want me and Motoko to fight either, so I can't even fight for him. There's nothing I can do anymore but wait."

Kitsune opened her mouth to rebut her friend's arguments, but found herself unable to think of any alternatives. 'She's right,' she realized sadly. 'It's his choice now.' She then noticed that the corners of Naru's eyes were moist, so she stepped over and embraced her friend in a hug. No words were spoken, as none were needed.

XXX

Back inside the cabin, in the recently installed shower, Motoko was having similar thoughts. 'In a few days I'll know whether or not I'll have Keitaro at my side,' she mused as she rinsed the shampoo from her hair. Things had finally come to a head, and Keitaro would be choosing between her and Naru. Personally, she didn't want to wait, she wanted him to choose her right now. 'But, if he wanted me, wouldn't he have said it?' Keitaro hadn't actually told her he loved her, and he had been in love with Naru. 'Might he be thinking of how to soften the blow when he tells me?'

Deep down, she was frightened that her emotional outburst in the bath was going to push Keitaro right back into Naru's arms. Irony defined. An attempt to stop her rival from being with Keitaro would seal her own defeat. Motoko tried hard not to think about how'd she handle it if that occurred.

Despite the warmth in the bathroom, her hands were shaking as she reached for a towel.

Motoko dried herself off and got dressed, trying to put up a brave and confident front. She failed miserably. She was a nervous wreck when she exited the bathroom and took grim satisfaction from the fact that Naru seemed to be in the same state. As the two of them passed each other, more was communicated in a two second glare off than could have been said in a two-hour debate. But because of Keitaro's words, an uneasy truce was silently agreed on.

As Naru closed the bathroom door behind her, Motoko took a look at Keitaro. It appeared that he hadn't moved, and he almost seemed to be in a fugue state. He appeared unaware of anything happening around him, and Motoko figured he wouldn't react if all of the Hinata House girls stood naked in front of him. Realizing that there was nothing more she could say or do in her own defence, Motoko resigned herself to finishing packing up for the trip home.

Just as Motoko had figured, Keitaro was oblivious to all of the activity in the cabin as the girls cleaned up and packed for the trip home. When they were all ready to go, Shinobu told him, "S, sempai, there's food in the fridge and some clean clothes in your bag. Take, take care sempai."

With this, Shinobu, Su, Sarah, and Kitsune bade their farewells to Keitaro and walked out.

Now, only Motoko and Naru were left. Neither wanted to leave, and they both wanted the last word with him. They realized that neither would let the other stay behind so they silently agreed to leave together.

"Goodbye Keitaro," said Naru.

"Take care, Kei-kun," said Motoko.

With these goodbyes they left the cabin, and left Keitaro free to decide their fates.

Now all was silent, save for the sound of Keitaros' breathing. For a few moments he just sat there, nearly catatonic. Then he slowly got up and staggered to the shower. He knew that some difficult decisions had to be made in the next few days, but for now he'd get cleaned up and answer his body's demands for sleep. Once he was rested, it would be time to decide which of his two beloveds he was going to tear the heart out of.

XXX

The trip back to Hinata House was a subdued affair, with three distinct groups walking in loose formation. Naru and Kitsune were the de facto leaders by the simple fact that they were at the front of the column. A few feet behind them, Sarah, Shinobu and Tama-chan made up the second group. Bringing up the rear was the last group, Motoko and Su, with the former walking silently, and the latter riding on the formers' back.

Naru and Kitsune had attempted to have a conversation as they walked, but Naru had quickly realized that her heart just wasn't in it. Kitsune had noticed Naru's onset of sombreness and had gamely tried to hold it back with talk, but she had found herself overwhelmed. Now the two of them just trudged forward, the prospect of returning to familiar surroundings the only thing that motivated them to head home. Since they weren't able to talk to each other, they were left to their own thoughts to pass the time.

'Why can't love be enough?' Naru thought sadly. 'I love him, he loves me, why can't it just be that simple?' It wasn't of course, as few things in life were. If it had been that simple, the present situation wouldn't be happening, and she and Keitaro would be continuing their sometimes confusing relationship. 'Why couldn't I have been more decisive earlier? Why did I go along with trying to fool Tsuruko? And why are people able to love more than just one person?!'

Naru risked a discrete glance behind her, and saw Motoko, her face showing an expression of someone lost in thought. A surge of anger passed through Naru. 'Why did you make Keitaro fall for you? You knew I cared for him, didn't you?' She knew that she'd never actually said this to either Motoko or Keitaro, but she'd expected her friend to be able to figure it out, and therefore not make a move on him.

'Maybe she didn't know,' another voice in her psyche responded. 'You never admitted it. Besides, where the hell were you when they were getting close?'

Naru flinched at the internal rebuke. She tried to give an answer that would satisfy her strongest critic, herself, but she found that she couldn't come up with a suitable explanation for why she'd left. 'I just needed to get away,' sounded pathetic to her own ears, and Naru tried hard not to think about that as she continued towards home.

Kitsunes' thoughts were also in turmoil, as she recalled the previous two or so months. 'I don't believe it's come to this. So, who's 'loverboy' going to pick?' Kitsune thought unkindly. 'He's broken up a friendship and completely fucked up the whole situation because he didn't have the balls to be honest with Naru. Although it's not like Naru would have been delighted to hear the truth from him anyway. She'd probably have screamed 'pervert!' and sent him airborne.' Kitsune was unhappy that she was thinking of her friends in such unflattering terms, but she was trying to be objective. 'If those two idiots had just been mature enough to talk to each other about how they felt, this woulda never happened!'

Kitsune released a breath and tried to calm herself down, as getting worked up would not accomplish anything. 'At least she and Motoko aren't at each other's throats. But can they survive waiting until Keitaro makes his decision? Can the house?' Kitsune then resolved to try and keep Motoko and Naru from confronting each other for a while. They were both calm now, but with their passions for Keitaro running high, a conflict of a severe nature was possible.

The middle group, which was also acting as a buffer zone between Naru and Motoko, was the closest to being 'normal'. While Shinobu was still upset at her decision to let Keitaro go, she hadn't been directly involved in the conflict that had recently come to a head. As well, Sarah, who may have developed a little respect for Keitaro but still had absolutely no affection for him, kept talking to her and forced her to respond rather than lose herself in he own thoughts.

Their conversation stayed on subjects that weren't related to the love triangle, as Sarah had no interest in what Keitaro decided. She no longer despised him, but she didn't care for him either, and her feelings towards him could be called indifferent. Though the two of them talked for quite some time, with Tama-chan contributing a 'myuh' every once and a while, nothing of any real importance was discussed.

At the 'six' position of the convoy, Su was at one of her favourite places, riding piggyback on Motoko. It felt strange to have the hyperactive youngster on her back again after so long. Su was doing everything that she used to do in this position, but Motoko no longer was the same person she'd been two months ago. She'd been forced to come face to face with her inner demons, and confront the loneliness that she had always tried to lock away.

She almost hadn't survived the confrontation. She'd been ready to kill herself when the depression had been too much, and only desperate intervention by Keitaro had saved her life. That one act of kindness had shattered her impression of herself and had started her on the long, difficult road to recovery. She admitted to herself that she no longer needed Keitaro to survive. No, now she WANTED him. She'd lashed out in jealous, blind rage when Naru had tried to take 'her' Keitaro, and now because of that fight he was going to choose one of them.

Motoko continued walking, forcing herself to try to be a little more upbeat for Su's benefit. She wasn't that successful however, and Su's natural energy and exuberance were tempered by Motoko's downbeat mood. Eventually, even Su found herself slipping into quiet reflection, and the reserved caravan continued to journey home. Finally, the long trip that none of the travellers would ever recall in much detail ended, and at the foot of the Hinata House steps, an old friend waited.

"Hello everyone!" called out Mutsumi.

'It figures…' "How are you Mutsumi?" replied Kitsune.

"I'm fine, how is everyone?" she asked, her beatific smile still in place.

Kitsune pondered how to reply to that for a few seconds before she said, "Things could be a lot better."

Mutsumi's smile lessened ever so slightly. "What do you mean? And where is Kei-kun?" she asked as she started looking around for him.

"Do you mind talking inside?" Kitsune inquired.

"No, not at all." Now her smile had returned to full strength.

"Then follow me." The group walked up the steps and entered Hinata House, removing their shoes as they entered. Once inside, Motoko and Naru excused themselves and walked away. Su and Sarah set off to explore more of the hidden passageways, and Shinobu went to the kitchen to start dinner. Now only Mutsumi and Kitsune were left in the living room.

"What's going on here?" asked Mutsumi, a puzzled expression on her face.

"I'll explain shortly, lemme go get us something to drink." With that Kitsune headed up to her room, and went to the closet. Reaching inside, she opened a box that had 'FOR EMERGENCY USE ONLY' written on it, and pulled out a bottle of Booker's bourbon. Retrieving two glasses she went back downstairs and poured two stiff drinks. "Kampai!" she toasted and drank.

This bourbon was stronger than anything Kitsune usually drank, approximately 136 proof, and it made even her cough. She was slightly dismayed to notice that Mutsumi had knocked hers back as if it had been water. Once the burning had passed, Kitsune croaked out, "Alright, I'll tell you what's going on."

Kitsune then proceeded to explain everything that had happened since the last time Mutsumi had visited. Keitaro and Motoko's increasing closeness, Naru's return, the picnic, the war in the bath, Motoko's 'training trip', how they had followed them, the near eruption of violence, and Keitaro's imminent return. By this time the two of them were two thirds of the way into the bottle, and Kitsune was becoming worried that that the house would get damaged from all the spinning it was doing.

Mutsumi had listened to Kitsune's story with rapt attention and now she seemed to be just slightly off her normal self. For a few moments, Kitsune was certain she saw traces of sadness and regret on Mutsumi's features, but when she looked away for a second they were gone. 'Prolly never eben there.' At this point Kitsune was even slurring her thoughts. 'Musbe my maginashun,' she figured.

Mutsumi gathered her thoughts for a few moments, and considered what Kitsune had told her during the increasingly drunken valediction. Thinking about what she'd heard caused her to briefly remember her own attraction to Keitaro. This flash of memory caused her normal megawatt smile to dim slightly, but her own alcoholic flush made it difficult to notice unless one looked carefully. Forcing her expression to return to normal, she finally responded to what Kitsune had told her. "That's… unexpected. So what do you think Kitsune? You've seen what's occurred, who do you think Kei-kun will choose?"

Kitsune, her thought processes completely addled by now, hadn't noticed the subtle change in Mutsumi's expression and behavior. "I dunno," she mumbled. She then poured herself another drink with a shaking hand, knocked it back and proceeded to pass out sprawled on the sofa.

Mutsumi watched as Kitsune answered the bourbons' siren call and went unconscious. She got up, rolled Kitsune onto her stomach and picked up the bottle of bourbon. Not knowing what else to do with it, she tilted her head back and finished off the last of the dark amber liquor. She set the now empty bottle on the table, and with a steady stride that would have passed any field sobriety test, she set off in search of Naru.

XXX

Naru was currently trying to relax in the bath, but knowledge of what would happen in a couple of days prevented her from doing that. She was also trying to forget the kiss that Motoko had given Keitaro last night, and his reluctance to tell her why he'd stayed with Motoko. Her mental struggles were interrupted by a rush of bubbles on the surface of the water. 'Huh? Is that…?' Seconds later Mutsumi shot through the surface of the water, completely drenching Naru.

"Hello!" sang out Mutsumi.

'Why can't she just walk in like everyone else?' wondered Naru. She finally got over her surprise and said, "Hello Mutsumi."

Mutsumi walked over and sat down next to Naru. "I wanted to talk to you about Kei-kun," she announced without any preamble.

Naru closed her eyes and sighed. She really didn't want to talk about Keitaro now. "Mutsumi, I-"

Naru didn't get the chance to finish as Mutsumi interrupted her with, "I think you should tell him how you feel."

Naru sighed again and slumped even lower. "I did," she whispered.

"You did?"

"Yes."

"But, but I don't understand. Why hasn't Kei-kun chosen you then?" Mutsumi asked with a confused look on her face.

"Because he loves Motoko as well," Naru replied softly.

"Why do you think that? He's known you for a long time, you were childhood friends. He hasn't known Motoko that long, and everyone said that she used to hate him."

"Not anymore," Naru muttered darkly, recalling Motoko's attempt to seduce Keitaro in the bath, which had interrupted her own attempt. "She cares for him, and he practically admitted that he loved her." Naru let out a short, mirthless laugh. "They were sleeping in each others arms Mutsumi, how can I compete with that?"

Mutsumi's eyes widened slightly at that. This was a tidbit of information that Kitsune hadn't mentioned, but it was possible that she hadn't known. Naru looked like she was revealing a secret source of inner pain, and maybe she hadn't wanted to share it with anyone earlier. She pondered this new information for a moment before responding to Naru's revelation. "So, so Kei-kun and Motoko have slept together then?" She didn't have to specify that she didn't mean just 'sleep'.

Naru slumped down to the point that her chin was touching the surface of the water. "I, I don't know, but I guess not."

"Then why would them sleeping together matter?" Mutsumi asked. "After all, you, Kei-kun and I slept together that one time while studying, and nothing happened then, did it?"

Naru flushed at that memory, but she found herself nodding slowly in agreement. "That, that's true…, but…"

"And you two shared a room in Kyoto didn't you?"

Naru somehow managed to blush and blanch at the same time. "How, how did you…?"

"Tama-chan said you told him," Mutsumi replied with her same brilliant, and unreadable, smile in place. Naru decided that Mutsumi would be a formidable opponent at poker. "Did anything happen then?"

"No, NO! Nothing happened!" Naru responded quickly.

Mutsumi's smile became even broader. "Then who says that Kei-kun would sleep with Motoko?"

Naru was unable to respond to that. She had admitted to herself that Keitaro wasn't the pervert that she had accused him of being, that it was simply her jealousy over what she saw as him flirting with other girls. When she forced herself to logically consider what Mutsumi had said, without letting her emotions influence her decision, Naru found herself agreeing with what Mutsumi had been telling her. However, there was still doubt in her mind, and she gave voice to it. "He, he spent a great deal of time with Motoko," she said quietly.

Mutsumi paused for a second as she considered Naru's words, as well as what Kitsune had told her. "But why wouldn't Kei-kun pick you regardless?" asked Mutsumi.

"What do you mean?" Naru's tone was still pessimistic, but now the faintest glimmer of hope was in her eyes.

"You're his first love, right?" For a second, sadness flickered over Mutsumi's face and then vanished. "He knows how you feel for him, you've been through a lot together right?"

"That's true," Naru replied with a sense of cautious optimism

"Then why wouldn't Kei-kun choose you? He's probably trying to think of the best way to do it without hurting anyone's feelings."

This made sense to Naru. Keitaro always tried not to upset anyone, and would always put the feelings of others before his own. He didn't want to hurt Motoko, so he was figuring out a way to let her down easy. Mutsumi's theory made sense, and Naru latched onto it as though it would save her life. She was still a little uneasy, but she felt well enough now to smile for the first time that day. "You may be right," she told Mutsumi.

"I hope so," Mutsumi replied.

"So do I," answered Naru.

At this point the conversation turned to more mundane topics, and took on the appearance of two old friends catching up on current events. Naru was grateful to Mutsumi for helping to lift her spirits and reassure her that she had a very good chance of winning Keitaro.

XXX

Upon arriving home, Motoko had headed directly for her room and locked the door behind her. Where Naru had had Kitsune and Mutsumi to encourage her, Motoko was basically left to fend for herself. Su would be there for company of course, but it wasn't Su's company she wanted at night. She sighed to herself. 'It's only been a few hours and I already miss him.' She tried to force herself to not consider the possibility that she'd never be close to him again.

The room felt… empty without him. SHE felt empty without him. Despite her best efforts, she'd ended up thinking about the differences between her and Naru's relationship with Keitaro. She'd come to some of the same conclusions that Naru had, but unlike Naru, the conclusions filled her with a sense of dread.

Naru had so many things going for her that Motoko didn't; she was older, had some of the same interests as him, and they had worked together for over a year and had become close. Most telling of all, Naru was his first love, how could he not want to be with her?

Motoko had only been 'married' to him for a few months; even with their increased mutual attraction, he'd admitted that he still cared for Naru. She'd never be able to win him, never be able to be with him, never be able to make love to him.

Motoko's eyes widened and her cheeks went scarlet at that thought, but she would no longer deny that she wanted him. 'I, I never even told him I loved him,' she thought morosely. She'd implied it, of course, but she'd never actually said those three little words. Now it looked like she'd never be able to, for if, no, WHEN, Keitaro chose Naru, she'd bury all of her feelings and let him go. She'd train him hard, but at night it would be Naru who helped him relax, while she sat in her room alone.

Time lost all meaning as she sat there, thinking about a life without Keitaro, until Shinobu knocked on her door and told her dinner was ready. Motoko had no appetite, so she politely declined and stayed where she was. Besides, she didn't want to face Naru, for it would be easier to honour Keitaro's request not to fight with her by avoiding her.

It was too early for bed, but the oblivion of sleep appeared to be better than anything that the waking world could offer her now. She went to the washroom, brushed her teeth, and came back to the room. She changed into her nightshirt, laid down on her futon, and turned off the light. That's when Keitaro's absence finally hit home. She had grown so accustomed to the warmth and feel of him next to her that sleeping alone now felt cold and empty.

Suddenly overwhelmed by a sense of grief and loss, Motoko was unable to stop the tears from coming. She grabbed Keitaro's pillow and hugged it to herself, the faint smell of him lingering on it providing her little comfort. Never in her entire life had she felt so alone. It was made all the worse by the fact that now she knew what she had lost; before the marriage loneliness was familiar to her, almost welcome. Now it was the worst feeling that she had ever endured.

She fell asleep crying and murmuring his name. Her dreams were a kaleidoscope of tortuous images of Keitaro and Naru, the two of them smiling at each other, holding hands, laughing, and even kissing. The two of them were completely happy together, while she was forced to watch their joy from afar, her lonely, empty heart aching a little more with each scene. Mercifully, she awoke from her nightmare long before dawn. The redness in her eyes testimony of her crying in her sleep. Fear of seeing those images inspired her to get up and get dressed. She wasn't feeling at all tired, and she figured she could drive away the images away with the familiar rhythms of kendo.

Grasping her sword and bolting to the roof, she figured that she'd get in some early practice. But when she finally reached the roof after a frantic dash, she was once again reminded of Keitaro's absence. The only reason she'd started morning training was to take advantage of the extra time to train Keitaro, and she later came to secretly enjoy spending the early morning with him.

A sensation of great despair came over Motoko, and she slumped down against the railing and stared numbly into space. The sounds of night faded away, and left her in a world of her own. She relived the happier times she had spent with Keitaro, terrified beyond measure of losing them if she didn't try to remember them. Time lost all meaning for her, until the first rays of the sun began to peak up over the horizon. She flashed back to that first morning, and the words she had spoken to him over two months earlier. '_It's always darkest before the dawn.'_ With every fiber of her being and down to her very soul, Motoko hoped with all her heart that there was some truth to that saying.

XXX

For the next two days, Hinata House was the sight of an unusual game of avoidance. Motoko and Naru made a point of avoiding each other whenever possible. The two of them would not eat or bathe at the same time and if they encountered each other in the hallways, they'd both turn around. The lead to aborted conversations, as the avoidance would override everything else, including the rules of politeness.

To make an delicate situation even more volatile, Mutsumi moved into Motoko's old room, and her reasoning was that she was providing emotional support for Naru. She also provided a drinking partner for Kitsune, who had been hit with a multi-megaton hangover, and she had sworn off drinking, and had kept her vow all the way until lunch.

To Motoko, it seemed that everyone in Hinata House was either in Naru's corner supporting her, or at the very least figured that Keitaro would choose her when he came back. For her, each minute of each day was torture, and she had the strangest feeling of detachment from the situation. It made her feel like she was watching a movie where she knew something bad was going to happen, but she couldn't do anything to stop it.

Even sleep was no longer a blissful oblivion for Motoko, as the tortuous images continued to haunt her dreams. One nightmare in particular had had a very traumatic effect on her and shook her to her very core.

It had started out innocently, as bad dreams usually do. 'What, what's going on? Where am I?' Motoko couldn't see anything, it was like she was surrounded by dense fog. She seemed to in an auditorium of some kind, but she couldn't make out any details. Gradually it became clearer, and she was able to start hearing little snippets of conversation.

"Perfect couple."

"Took them long enough, didn't it?"

"He looks so handsome in that tuxedo doesn't he?"

"I always cry at weddings."

"Don't those bridesmaids dresses look hideous?"

"Who designed them, Ray Charles?"

With a start Motoko realized that she was in a church, and it appeared that a wedding was about to occur. As everything became clear, she realized that Keitaro was standing at the altar, his friends Haitani and Shirai flanking him. Motoko found herself blushing as she discovered that he did look handsome in his tuxedo. 'He, he's looking at me!' Motoko realized. Joy blossomed in her heart as it dawned on her that he was waiting for his bride to join him. With a surge of bliss she started to walk down the aisle to join him in holy matrimony.

Or at least she tried to. She discovered that she couldn't move, it felt like her feet were set into concrete. She tried to call out to him, to say that she couldn't move, but she found that her voice didn't work. She looked down desperately to try to figure out why she couldn't move and was shocked at what she saw.

This wasn't a wedding dress. No sane or even insane bride would have called this abomination a wedding dress. It was… puke-green, with puffy shoulders, a slit leg, and far too much chiffon. No woman would have been caught dead in a dress like this, for even a corpse would re-animate itself enough to strip off the offending garment, rather than wear it for all eternity. Even dogs would be reluctant to relieve themselves on this abortion in satin.

'I'm a bridesmaid!' Motoko thought to herself in pure panic. 'Then who is Keitaro…' the thought trailed off as a sudden moment of clarity struck. When the wedding march started, Motoko found herself unwillingly looking behind her to see the bride, hoping against hope that this was a terrible mistake. Her hopes went unanswered, as she saw Naru standing behind her, resplendent in a white wedding dress. The look on Naru's face was partially concealed by the veil, but bliss was clearly visible, along with a shade of triumph.

As Naru walked by her, Motoko tried to lash out, scream, anything to disrupt the proceedings, but she found herself unable to move or speak, and no one seemed to notice her distress. When the minister asked for any objections, Motoko had been incapable of calling out. Unable to look away, or even close her eyes, she was forced to watch Keitaro and Naru declare their love for each other and seal it with a kiss. Finally the minister presented Mister and Misses Keitaro Urashima, and Motoko was finally able to speak, but her scream of "NO!" was drowned out by the cheers of the other guests.

Motoko bolted upright, sweating and breathing heavily, all thoughts of sleep driven away. Tears then flowed without hesitation, as she believed that this had been no mere dream, but a premonition of some sort. Dreams like this made Motoko feel a little like a man on death row, she knew what was coming and dreaded it, but at the same time wishing that it would just happen so it would be over and done with.

Once it was over she'd be able to move on with her life, but right now she was in a sort of limbo that was driving her absolutely insane. And so she reacted with equal parts dread and relief on the third day when she heard Su's exuberant voice sing out, "Hey everybody, Keitaro's back!"

XXX

As Keitaro Urashima slowly walked up the stairs toward Hinata House, his pace slowed by trepidation of what was likely to happen, he reflected on the couple of days he had spent alone at the cabin. The days had been full of soul searching, reminiscing, reflection, and pondering the future. To an outsider, having to choose between two beautiful, wonderful women might have appeared to be a joy, but to him it had been three days of utter hell.

It had been a long, difficult process trying to figure out what he heart was telling him, but he had finally come to a decision. It had been a close choice, closer than anyone might have realized, but his mind was made up. He was going to walk in there and tell the woman he was in love with that he wanted to be with her, and take back some control over his life. The violence and jealousy were going to end today and he was going to make sure that nobody came between him and his beloved again.

So why did he have a powerful urge to go back to the cabin and contemplate the matter for a little longer? Say, thirty years?

'Oh, that's right. The one I don't choose will probably hate me,' he chuckled to himself without humour. He heard Su's voice announce his return, and that meant that he was committed now, no turning back. Not that he would have anyway, but now it was absolutely not an option. Willing his pace to increase slightly, he made his way down the path towards the main entrance. He entered, put down his backpack, took off his shoes and walked into the rapidly filling living room. He noticed, to his slight surprise, that in addition to the Hinata House regulars, Haruka and Mutsumi were there as well, greeting him and welcoming him back.

'So much for privacy,' he thought miserably. "Hello everyone."

There was a collection of greetings called out to him in response, but through it all there was a sense of tension and nervousness. The largest sources were, naturally, Naru and Motoko. Naru looked like she was having trouble staying still while Motoko had a nervous air about her. Keitaro felt another stab of guilt and shame for letting things get like this and it stiffened his resolve to act.

"It's, it's good to see you all again," he said quietly. "I hope everything's been O.K. while I've been gone."

"We're O.K.," replied Kitsune off-handedly.

"That's good," responded Keitaro. He discovered that he couldn't bring himself to look either Motoko or Naru in the eyes, as he was afraid that what he might see there would strip away his nerve. He did notice that everyone was giving him an almost expectant look. They wanted him to voice his decision, but they didn't want to ask him to do it. 'No time like the present,' he thought without any enthusiasm.

"I, I've decided what I want to do," Keitaro said as he continued to look at the floor. "I've realized what I truly want, and what I need to do." He finally looked up at everyone and took a deep breath to steady his nerves before continuing. Once he'd successfully lowered his heart rate to about 160 beats per minute, he began to walk towards Naru and Motoko.

In unison, the two women stood up slowly, each of them both anticipating and dreading this moment. They both happened to glance over at the other, and they saw that they were both wearing nearly identical expressions.

Keitaro stopped before the two women, his face not betraying any of the nervousness that he was experiencing. He took a moment to briefly look both of them in the eyes.

Then he stepped toward Motoko.

He took her hand in his.

Went down on one knee.

And made his decision known.

"Motoko, we were given no choice when Tsuruko 'married' us, but now I'm doing this freely. Will you stay with me for the rest of my life?"

Motoko and Naru both stood there in shock, both of them not believing what was happening. Motoko reacted first. "Yes…," she replied weakly, before she found the strength to agree more enthusiastically. "Yes! YES! I'll stay with you Keitaro!" she cried out as she kneeled down and embraced him, a gesture he returned.

Naru just stood there, feeling the world start to spin around her. She momentarily staggered before she regained her footing. She felt numb. She wanted to get angry and lash out at Keitaro and his reaffirmed bride, but she found herself unable to work up any emotions, like they had been amputated.

Naru was wearing a blank emotionless mask. Then she blinked once, twice, three times. Tears started to well up in her eyes and the look of someone who has had their very soul ripped out washed over her face. With tears unabashedly flowing down her cheeks, Naru turned on her heel and ran for her room.

"Aw Christ!" raged Kitsune. 'Why'd it have to be like this?!' She got up from the sofa, planning to chase after Naru. She glanced at Keitaro, fully intending to tear his head off later. But in spite of how bad he'd made Naru feel, she found herself feeling a little sorry for him. 'You're going to have to live with this, aren't you. Maybe that's enough punishment.' With that thought she went running after Naru, concern for her pushing all other thoughts out of her head.

As Keitaro held Motoko, who was openly crying tears of joy, he felt a sense of peace and serenity come over him. It was though a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and in many ways it had. The ordeal of having to choose between two women he loved had been unbearable, and now that he held the woman he had decided he wanted to be with, all seemed right with the world.

There was only one thing marring his current feeling of happiness. The anguish that Naru was undergoing made him feel terrible. Keitaro was deeply in love with Motoko, and he absolutely wanted to be with her, but he was still human, and the sadness that now gripped Naru would have elicited tears from a stone. He even briefly considered trying to comfort her, but he knew that he belonged with Motoko, and that Kitsune could do a better job of comforting Naru then he could anyway.

Gently disengaging himself from Motoko's embrace, Keitaro walked over to Haruka and with his head down asked, "Aunt Haruka, would you mind looking after Hinata House for awhile?"

Haruka had been expecting something like this but still asked "Why?"

"I, I think it would be best if Motoko and I left for awhile. It's going to be uncomfortable to have everyone here right now." Keitaro looked up and saw understanding in Haruka's eyes, with the tiniest hint of disapproval as well. The disapproval in her eyes was far more evident in the eyes of the others in the living room. He took some comfort from the fact that Motoko was softly nodding in agreement with his idea.

Haruka also figured that it would be for the greater good if Keitaro and Motoko left for a while. With them gone, perhaps Naru could start the healing process more effectively. Besides, after what the two of them had been through, they probably needed some quiet time together. "Will you two be coming back?" she asked.

"Yes, I just don't know when," Keitaro replied. He then walked over to Motoko, took her hand and the two of them went upstairs to their room to pack.

Haruka stood where she was, idly noticing the departure of the other residents from the living room. The house felt 'wrong' to her somehow, as if it's life-force or energy had been drastically altered, and perhaps it had. She wasn't too concerned about it though, as she was certain that with time it would return to its original health. She just hoped that its residents were as resilient as it was.

XXX

Kitsune had known Naru for many years and had seen her when she was upset before, but she had never seen her as heartbroken as she was at the moment. There had been nothing that she could say to her, so she had just been a shoulder for Naru to cry on. Naru had been crying for over five minutes without stopping, her tears forming damp spots on the shirt Kitsune was wearing. Kitsune wanted to say that things would get better, that she'd be alright, but she knew that those words would sound hollow to Naru. They even sounded hollow to her.

Naru was in her own private hell, facing the reality of having lost Keitaro again. The first time she had lost him, it had taken weeks for her to get herself composed enough to face him again. But this time was much, much worse. Keitaro hadn't been forced to marry Motoko this time, he had chosen her. The conflict between Motoko and her might have forced him to act, but he had still chosen Motoko over her.

It was more painful then the situation with Seta had been, because deep down she knew that she had been too young for him. She had believed that she and Keitaro were meant to be together, and having him choose to be with another had cut her to the very core. Keitaro was gone, and this time there would be no second chances. He'd said it himself, he was in love with Motoko. She wasn't sure she could face either of them again, or if she could forgive Motoko.

Kitsune listened as Naru's sobs finally began to ebb away. She continued to hold Naru and stroke her hair; eventually Naru stopped crying, and the only sound in the room was Naru's shuddering breath.

"Why?" Naru whispered faintly.

Kitsune sighed and tried to think of what she could say to answer Naru. The first thought that came to her was that Naru shouldn't have run away. If she'd stayed, Keitaro would have stayed closer to her. She didn't say this, as Naru was already feeling bad and didn't need to have salt rubbed in her wounds. In the end Kitsune said nothing, figuring that Naru needed to vent more than she needed to talk.

"What am I going to do now?" moaned Naru. "I have to let him go again." Naru felt another wave of tears well up inside her, but she tried to hold them back, and tried to be strong. She didn't completely succeed.

Kitsune thought back on everything that had lead up to this situation and tried to figure out what would happen now, and how things were going to change. Still unable to answer Naru's questions, she simply continued to try to comfort her. 'Never thought I'd need to do this. I figured Motoko would be the one needing support.' She regretted not being able to do more to keep Keitaro interested in Naru during her absence, but she honestly didn't know what else she could have done.

Looking over Kitsune's shoulder out the window, Naru saw Keitaro and Motoko walking down the stairs, carrying a pair of backpacks. It appeared that the two of them would be leaving Hinata House for a time and she was glad for that. Now she wouldn't have to face them, or act civil towards them, and she'd be able to begin the healing process.

But at the same time it was the final nail in the coffin of their relationship and she was still heartbroken over that. The sight of the two of them leaving confirmed their commitment to each other and the fact that she'd lost him to Motoko. Unbidden, an English expression she had learned while studying came to her. _'It is better to have loved and lost then never to have loved at all.'_

XXX

After packing up what they would need for an extended trip away from Hinata House, Keitaro and Motoko said their goodbyes to some of the residents and asked Haruka to pass on them on to Naru and Kitsune. Not having any other place to go, they decided to go back to the cabin, as it was available, and with Su's improvements it would be comfortable enough for an extended stay. Few words had been spoken since Keitaro had made his choice, as the two of them were too emotionally drained to speak, and the prospect of leaving Hinata House was proving to be a barrier to conversation.

Motoko was also having some mixed feelings. She was happy that she hadn't lost Keitaro, but she was also feeling sympathy for what Naru was going through. She understood the anguish that Naru had to be feeling, as it could have just as easily been her that was passed over.

When they finally reached the cabin, Keitaro opened the cabin and found that everything was just as he had left it. It wasn't much of a first home for him and Motoko, but it would have to do. He looked up and saw Motoko giving him the soft smile that he was beginning to love seeing and he tried to return it, but he found that his heart wasn't in it.

"Are you alright Kei-kun?" Motoko asked him.

"Not entirely Moto… Mo-chan," Keitaro replied.

Motoko had a good idea what was bothering him but still asked, "So what's wrong?"

"I never wanted anyone to get hurt," he whispered. "I never wanted anyone to get hurt because of me."

"Do you think that there was anything you could have done to stop it?" she softly inquired.

Keitaro didn't respond for a couple of moments, but he finally said, "No." He took a shuddering breath and continued. "Doesn't make it any easier though." He walked over to his sleeping bag, sat down on it and placed his head in his hands.

Motoko sat down next to him, took him in her arms and let him cry on her shoulder. He didn't wail uncontrollably, he sobbed quietly, taking comfort in his wife's arms, as he tried to get past his feelings of sadness. When the sobs started to die down, Motoko asked him, "Will you be okay?"

Keitaro took a deep breath and replied, "Yes, just, just not now. Motoko, could you hold me for a while? Please?"

She didn't answer, she layed down and pulled him close to her, stroking his hair and whispering softly in his ear. They stayed like that until it was time for bed. They both got undressed, cleaned up and then they both got into Keitaro's sleeping bag. By unspoken agreement, nothing happened between the two of them except for a quick goodnight kiss, and Motoko held Keitaro all through the night.

The next morning they both got up early and resumed their training regimen, mostly so that they would have something to do together. After they finished training, Keitaro just brooded for a while, while Motoko went for a walk. They did talk, but it was mostly about innocuous topics, as neither wanted to discuss relationships at the moment. Keitaro was able to smile at Motoko without feeling sadness, but there was still tension between the two that thwarted any deeper conversations.

Finally Motoko decided it was time for them to talk. After dinner, when she had come back from another walk and Keitaro was still brooding, she down next to him and asked him, "Are you feeling better Kei-kun?"

"A little," he replied.

"May I ask you a question?" she inquired.

"Go ahead," he replied.

"Why did you choose me?" she asked softly.

Keitaro closed his eyes and sighed. "I decided after a lot of thinking."

"About what?"

"I thought about everything that's happened since I came to Hinata House, both good and bad." He turned and looked at his wife, an embarrassed smile on his face. "I didn't exactly have the best first impression, did I?" he asked.

A thin smile graced Motoko features. "That's putting it mildly," she said dryly.

"I thought about everything that happened between Naru and I as well as between you and I," Keitaro continued. "The successes, the setbacks, problems, everything. I came to realize that I had developed feelings for the both of you."

"I, I suspected that," Motoko replied softly.

"I, I came to the realization that I love Naru. Completely, with all of my heart. I always have and I think that I always will."

"Then, then why…" began Motoko before Keitaro interrupted her.

"Because loving someone isn't the same as being in love with someone."

Motoko's expression became confused and she stammered, "I, I don't understand…"

"It, it happened during the training, sort of. Do you remember that night on the roof?" Keitaro didn't have to explain exactly which night he meant.

"Yes. I don't think I'll ever forget that night," Motoko replied quietly.

"Me neither. I've never seen anyone so low as you were that night. I guess I made a promise to never let you get that low again. I did everything I could to keep your spirits up, especially in the training." Keitaro paused in his monologue at this point, and a distant look came over his face as he recalled what had happened two months ago.

After shaking his head slightly to focus on what was currently happening, Keitaro continued talking. "When you were training me, you were so alive, and it was beautiful to see after that night. As I was learning to fight, I was also learning to love seeing you like that, and I eventually fell in love with you Motoko. That's what lead to my decision. While I'll always care for Naru, I'm in love with you. You're the only woman I ever want to be with, and I never want to lose you."

Motoko got up and turned away because she didn't want Keitaro to see the tears in her eyes. She wiped them away and turned to face him. Keitaro had gotten up as well and was reaching for her when she said, "I love you Keitaro. I wish I'd told you earlier, and I've got a lot of time to make up for."

Keitaro was about to take her in his arms and embrace her when…

Years later, when Keitaro and Motoko were asked what exactly had been the deciding factor in making the marriage official in every sense of the word, they blushed. Then they both got similar smiles, a far off look in their eyes, and they both replied, "An earthquake."

At that moment an earthquake struck. It wasn't a large one, only 3.8 on the Richter Scale. Enough to rattle windows, scare tourists, and generally cause a brief surge of panic. It also had the effect of causing Keitaro and Motoko to lose their footing and fall back onto Keitaro's sleeping bag. When the tremor stopped and the two of them got their nerves under control, they realized that they had fallen on top of each other. With a sense of déjà vu, Keitaro looked up and saw Motoko's face just inches from his own.

The world seemed to vanish around them, until only the tiny cabin remained, the soft hum of the power source filling the silence, the surprisingly gentle artificial lighting casting soft shadows on the young couple. Despite the fact that it was rather late in the evening, the temperature in the cabin seemed to rise slightly, and Motoko and Keitaro found themselves breathing slightly harder then they would have done normally.

This time, when his hand reached up to caress her cheek, he was in full control of its actions. With that one gesture, all of the nervous tension between them disappeared, and other intense feelings came roaring to the surface. Motoko acted first, leaning down and kissing Keitaro deeply, causing him to freeze for a moment. Then he snapped out of it and returned the kiss, wrapping his arms around her, pulling her close and meeting her tongue with his own.

Motoko shifted slightly, positioned herself so she was straddling Keitaro's waist, and slowly started rubbing herself against him. Keitaro's body took immediate notice of the contact and one part went rigid, causing him discomfort at its confinement. Motoko felt his hardness against her and instead of feeling awkward, she was emboldened by it.

She broke the kiss and started gently kissing him in the neck, just under his ears. As she heard his breathing go ragged, she stopped briefly and whispered into his ear. "Kei-kun," she said huskily, "you know that little nagging voice?" Before he could respond she continued, "It's not saying a word."

With his mind currently considering other things, it took a few moments for what Motoko was saying to register with Keitaro. When it did he blushed heavily, and he attempted to say "Me too," in a confident and assured voice. What came out was a high pitched squeak that almost brought Motoko to giggles.

Motoko was becoming very aroused, but she was still in a slightly playful mood. When she managed to successfully fight off the giggles, she reached up and removed Keitaro's glasses. Out of curiosity she tried them on and discovered that they put everything slightly out of focus. In her best attempt at impersonating his voice, which wasn't very good, she cried out, "Augh! Motoko, I'm sorry, please don't hit me!" She then broke out in laughter, quickly joined by Keitaro, who had also thought it was funny. She then carefully placed the glasses to the side and resumed kissing Keitaro.

Keitaro was now extremely aroused, and he wanted Motoko, he longed for her. However, he was also a twenty two year old virgin. He knew what he was supposed to do, sort of, but he was uncertain of what was appropriate. He figured that the male banter he had overheard was probably not the best source of information, so he tried to play it by ear and keep his nervousness in check.

They were both nervous, but young love is all about discovery, as the two of them found out that evening. Despite some problems, it all ended well for the two of them.

XXX

About ten minutes after they finished, the two of them finally decided that they needed to move and Keitaro carefully rolled off Motoko and lay next to her. He then pulled her into a tight embrace and kissed her. "I, I guess that makes it official."

"Motoko Urashima," Motoko replied. "I could learn to like that name."

Hearing Motoko say that reminded Keitaro of another decision he had made while walking back to Hinata House. "No, Keitaro Aoyama."

Motoko gasped in disbelief. "You, you'd take my name?"

"I'd be honoured to, if you let me," Keitaro replied softly.

Motoko just held him in response, tears of joy running down her face.

After a few minutes, Keitaro attempted to apologize for his perceived failure. "I'm sorry for what happened earlier Motoko."

"Don't be. It was just first time jitters," she replied. That strange gleam came over her eyes again, one that wouldn't have looked out of place on Tsuruko. "Besides, we have plenty of time to practice."

Keitaro felt a grin come over his features. "A lifetimes worth."

They kissed one last time and then Motoko snuggled into his embrace, fatigue starting to claim her. Keitaro was also starting to feel tired, and figured that sleep was exactly what he needed. As he started to doze off, he recalled the look in Motoko's eyes. Fire was back in her eyes, and it was a joyous sight for him to see. He wasn't sure what was going to happen now, or where they would go from here, but he would do anything to stay at her side.

Motoko's last thoughts before she feel asleep were, oddly enough, on the loss that had started her on the path she was on now. When it had happened, she had felt as though she had lost everything and had no worth. But through their struggles, her eventual love for Keitaro, and his love for her, she had finally found what she been seeking.

Redemption.

The two of them faced an uncertain future, but they would face it the same way they would face everything from now on.

Together.

XXX

Back at Hinata House life, as it always does, went on.

The departure of Keitaro and Motoko had upset the harmony of the entire household. For the next couple of days the house had a deathly pall over it, as each of the residents was forced to consider what Keitaro had meant to them now that he was gone. Naru was the most affected by his departure, and she had retreated to her room, not even coming out to eat or bathe. Eventually, through the combined efforts of Kitsune, Shinobu and Mutsumi, she started to slowly climb out of the pit of her depression. She was still heartbroken, but she was no longer isolating herself from the people that cared for her.

To help Naru with her depression, Mutsumi moved in full time into Motoko's old room. After unpacking all of her things, about two dozen watermelons, she and Kitsune dragged Naru into the bath and had a pleasant chat about nothing, allowing Naru to talk without opening not so old wounds.

Naru started acting a little more like her old self after two weeks of living with Mutsumi. She would sometimes get a distant look in her eyes, and it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what, or rather who, she was thinking of. But as a couple of weeks went by, she got those looks less and less often. The passage of time was partly responsible for this, but there was another thing that influenced this; Shinobu.

One day Naru entered the bath and found Shinobu already there, with a wistful look on her face. Naru was familiar with that look, as she had been wearing it herself many times in the past few weeks. Remembering Shinobu's feelings for Keitaro, and realizing that maybe they had something in common, lead her to have a talk with Shinobu about him.

At first Shinobu had stammered a denial about her feelings for Keitaro, but the look Naru was giving her told her that she wasn't buying it. So Shinobu told Naru about her feelings for him, when they had started, what she had done, and when they had ended. Or rather, when she had realized that she'd had no chance. She even admitted, in a voice thick with shame, how she had hoped to win him when it appeared that neither Naru nor Motoko was interested in him.

Naru listened in rapt attention, and was a little surprised when Shinobu revealed her aborted attempt to win Keitaro's heart. She wasn't upset with her though, and she secretly admired the younger girls nerve. 'If I had had nerve like that, maybe I wouldn't have lost him.' Since the younger girl had opened her heart to her, Naru felt it was only fair to do the same. She talked about Keitaro with Shinobu, talked about what they had done, how their relationship had progressed, and how little misunderstandings had eventually helped destroy it. They both felt better afterwards, and they decided that talking about Keitaro wasn't so bad after all.

Months went by, and everyone was getting used to a life without Keitaro. Everyone was happy again, even Naru and Shinobu, and the stench of depression had long since been blown away. But one day, an unexpected visitor arrived that knocked everyone off of their pins.

Kitsune had been lounging in the living room, drinking beer and watching the ponies on TV when she looked up and saw a figure standing in the doorway. The long black hair, hakama and gi, and sword caused her to jump in surprise and blurt out "Motoko?!" before she noticed the crane on her shoulder. 'My mistake,' she thought. "Hello Tsuruko."

"Hello Kitsune," replied Tsuruko with a pleasant smile. "May I come in?"

"Sure, come in. Hey everybody, we've got company!" Kitsune called out.

All of the residents, as well as Haruka, came to the living room. To say that it was a surprise didn't do justice to the emotion.

Upon seeing Tsuruko, Naru felt a flash of rage flare up, as she blamed Tsuruko for what had happened between Keitaro and Motoko. She wasn't that upset at Keitaro anymore, as she had let him get away. She'd even buried some of her bad feelings for Motoko, as she had just been following her heart, and she could relate to that.

But Tsuruko had been the one that had started the whole process. She did her best to keep her anger in check, as it would have been rude to make a scene. Besides, beneath the pleasant exterior, Tsuruko was walking death, and upsetting her could result in your lifespan being measurable in seconds.

Tsuruko was her usual charming self, giving gifts to all of the residents. She even had ones for Mutsumi and Haruka, even though she shouldn't have even known they were there. Su and Sarah quickly devoured the candy that had been their gift and started bouncing off the walls like superballs that had been fired out of a howitzer.

As they all drank tea in the dining room, Kitsune asked the question that was on everybody's mind: "What exactly are you doing here?"

"I came to visit my sister and Keitaro," she replied as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I hate to disappoint you, but they're not here. They haven't been here for almost ten months," Kitsune said.

"So what happened?" Tsuruko asked casually.

Kitsune sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose before continuing. "They, they fell in love and ran away together. We don't know when or if they'll be back." Kitsune couldn't help but notice the slightly pained look that fell over Naru's face.

"I see," replied Tsuruko without much concern.

"Sorry, it looks like you made a trip for nothing-" Kitsune was interrupted as a knocking came from the front door. As Haruka got up to answer the door, Kitsune's thought process seized. "No, it couldn't be…"

It was.

As Haruka lead them into the living room, the residents of Hinata House got their first look at Keitaro and Motoko in nearly a year.

Motoko's appearance hadn't changed much, except her hair was now longer. But she moved with pride in her step and a smile in her eyes. She was radiant, she practically glowed she was so happy looking. Everyone had trouble reconciling this image of Motoko with the sombre swordswoman they had all known.

Keitaro on the other hand…

'Damn,' thought Kitsune, 'he's changed a little, hasn't he?'

Keitaro's hairstyle was a little shorter than it was when he'd been the landlord of Hinata House, and its lighter colour, as well as his tan, was testament to a lot of time spent outdoors. He was now wiry, with well-tone muscles on his arms that the kendo outfit he was wearing did a good job of showing off. He had also gotten rid of his glasses, and his facial features had a more chiselled look to them, with the curves of his face having been replaced by angles.

"Hello sister," said Motoko in greeting.

"Hello Motoko," she replied. "Hello Urashima."

"That's Aoyama," Keitaro corrected. Tsuruko raised an eyebrow at that, and an amused expression came over her face.

'Would he have changed it to 'Narusegawa'?' Naru found herself wondering, before she broke off that thought, once again attempting to move on.

While Keitaro wouldn't trade the time he'd spent with Motoko for anything, he had missed seeing everyone. He then took notice of the residents and his smile faltered slightly. He and Motoko had not left Hinata House on the best of terms, and he hoped that there were no lingering bad feelings. Returning his smile to its previous level, he greeted the residents. "Hello Shinobu, Su, Sarah, it's good to see you all again. Hello Mutsumi, Kitsune, Naru…" The last name had been spoken in a slightly subdued tone.

Naru took a deep breath, put on a half smile, and replied, "It's good to see you again Keitaro, and you too Motoko." Her tone wasn't quite as chilly as it would have once been. She realized that she was coming to terms with what had happened, but it would be a while yet before everything was fine between the three of them.

"You look… good, Sempai," Shinobu said, a familiar blush in place.

"Thank you. We've missed all of you," Keitaro replied.

"Welcome back, Kei-kun," called out Mutsumi.

"Thanks. Were you visiting?" Keitaro asked.

"She lives here now," Kitsune replied.

"Really? That's, that's nice," responded Motoko. She was feeling a little uneasy; the return hadn't been completely warm so far. She'd been most worried about Naru, but while she'd seemed civil to the both of them, Motoko suspected that there was still anger festering underneath the surface.

At this point Su and Sarah, still hopped up on a sugar rush, both gave Keitaro a flying kick in the way of greeting. "Heyas Keitaro! Didya miss me?" cried out Su.

"Yeah, welcome back dork!" added Sarah.

As Keitaro got back to his feet with Motoko's help, he rubbed his face, smiled, and replied, "Believe it or not, I've even missed that."

"Well, it's… good… to finally see you two again," said Kitsune in a tone that indicated that she, like Naru, wasn't completely ready to forgive yet.

"So how have you been?" asked Tsuruko, re-entering the conversation once all of the greetings were complete.

"Wonderful, we've been travelling and training all over. We've also visited with my family."

"Oh really?" replied Kitsune. "So what do they think of your bride?"

Wishing that Kitsune sounded more like her old self, but understanding why she wasn't, Keitaro responded with, "They were shocked at first. They didn't know what to think. But, once they saw that we loved each other, they were happy."

Motoko's smile grew slightly at this comment.

"Everyone was happy?" asked Haruka.

"I think so, we met everyone but my sister."

"Sempai, you have a sister?" inquired Shinobu.

"Yes, an adopted little sister, Kanako. Haven't seen her in years though."

"So. You've been happy then," Naru stated quietly.

"It's been great, but mostly because of the company," with that he turned and gave Motoko a peck on the cheek. This caused her to smile, but also resulted in Naru's eyes narrowing slightly.

"Oh yes, I almost forgot. Happy Anniversary you two," congratulated Tsuruko.

Keitaro and Motoko both blinked in surprise, and Motoko turned to Keitaro and said, "She's right, we have been married for a year."

Tsuruko frowned a little. "You forgot Keitaro? I'm a little disappointed. I trust you aren't forgetting your husbandly duties?"

"Husbandly duties?" a confused Keitaro repeated.

"Do you keep Motoko 'happy'?" she asked with a smirk.

It took a second for the meaning of that comment to sink in, but when it did everybody with the exception of Su and Sarah blushed. Even Mutsumi appeared to be a little rattled. Everyone was starting to recompose themselves when Motoko replied with a similar smirk, "Of course he does." The collective face fault caused a few pictures to fall of the walls.

"Thank you SO MUCH for sharing that!" shrieked Kitsune from the floor. She then got up and went for a bottle of sake and poured herself a cup. When she looked up she saw that all of the residents were holding a cup out, wanting it to be filled. Kitsune looked at them and then retrieved half a dozen bottles.

After taking a sip of sake, Shinobu asked, "Sempai, why did you come back?"

"It's time for the duel, isn't it?" he replied, looking at Tsuruko.

A pleased look came over her face. "Yes it is. So your memory isn't all bad. Motoko, is he ready?"

"I have trained him as best as I could, but don't believe it matters," she answered.

"Please explain," said Tsuruko.

"Originally you said that if Keitaro impressed you, I'd be reinstated and the marriage would be annulled. Well, I don't want the marriage ended. We're happy together, and if you made me choose between the sword or Keitaro, I would choose him." She punctuated her words by embracing Keitaro and resting her head on his shoulder.

"I see," Tsuruko replied. A satisfied look appeared on her face and she remarked, "That's about what I figured would happen."

The entire assembled group, with the exception of Motoko, blinked twice. "You mean you planned this?" snarled Naru. She looked like she was ready to charge Tsuruko barehanded, sword be damned.

"Yes," Tsuruko replied matter of factly. "I did it for Motoko's benefit, as I felt that she needed a husband, and I believed that Keitaro was a good choice. Since he was willing to pretend to be involved with Motoko, I gave him the chance to do it for real." Tsuruko then looked at Motoko. "I never had any intention of permanently exiling you. As long as he didn't hold the sword by the wrong end, I would have been sufficiently impressed."

Keitaro felt his face twitch. He'd been had. Tsuruko had played him like a fiddle, utterly manipulated him. He felt a strong urge to draw his sword and take a swipe at Tsuruko, never mind the danger, when Motoko touched his arm. He whirled on her… and stopped. What had Tsuruko done? He was in love with Motoko, and he had no intention of ever leaving her. He now had a quiet confidence that was visible to all, and he was in the best shape of his life.

But most importantly, he was happy. For the first time in his life he felt alive, not just surviving, but truly alive. He knew this was due to the love he shared with Motoko, and being with her.

Tsuruko had manipulated him, but he wasn't upset with how her scheming had played out. Yes, he had been played like a fiddle, but in the hands of an expert player, a fiddle could make music to lift the soul. So Keitaro swallowed his outrage and accepted what life, or more accurately Tsuruko, had dealt him.

Letting out a breath and releasing the handle of his sword, Keitaro bowed to Tsuruko and told her, "Well played."

"Do you now understand the message I gave you?" Tsuruko asked.

He thought back to the letter she had given him almost a year ago. _'Once you have finished you may find that you have found something very precious. Something that you didn't even know you were looking for.'_ "Yes I do. And yes, I did find it." He then put his arm around his wife's waist.

Naru felt another flash of anger as she realized the full meaning of what Tsuruko had done. It hadn't been random chance, Tsuruko had conspired to match up Keitaro and Motoko, and it had worked fabulously. There was nothing that she could do; it was a done deal. Not so strangely, the strongest feeling she had was a sudden wish to fight Tsuruko when she didn't have a sword with her.

Not suspecting, or perhaps just not caring what Naru was thinking, Tsuruko smiled widely. "Excellent. Let's have no more talk of duels, it's time to celebrate." She produced a bottle of chilled champagne and enough glasses for everyone. She filled them and passed them around to everyone, and then called for a toast. "To the Aoyamas, Keitaro and Motoko." Everyone then took a sip, although Naru felt that the champagne had a bitter taste to it.

'Where the hell did that bottle and glasses come from?' wondered Keitaro as he took a sip.

At this point Haruka noticed that while Motoko had raised her glass in the toast, she didn't drink the champagne. "Don't you like champagne?" Haruka asked her.

"Yes I do, but I don't believe that I should drink," Motoko replied.

"Why?" asked Kitsune. The idea of not drinking was alien to her, and after Naru had been so hurt by Motoko's actions, she didn't care about putting her on the spot.

Motoko hesitated. This wasn't how she had planned it, but now seemed to be the best time. She felt Keitaro give her hand a gentle squeeze, and turned to see him nodding that it was okay. Taking strength and courage from that, Motoko took a deep breath and answered Kitsune's question.

"I'm pregnant."

End of  "Loss and Redemption"

Author's End Notes:

Yes, that's it. Now some of you are probably wondering why I ended this here. Quite honestly, this is how I intended it to end from the very start. The love triangle is gone, Keitaro and Motoko are happy together and parents to be, and Motoko was even reinstated into the Shinmei School. When I began, I had no plans to go any farther, but now…

I have found myself wondering if I should take the story further. I may yet end up creating a sequel, but it won't be for a while. I have some other stories that I have come up with that I want to work on first. I can only work on one at a time, and these other ideas are next in line. I believe that my next project will be either an Evangelion/Hina story, or a straight Evangelion story, but you never know. I don't have a title or release date yet, but keep checking my author page for details. If anyone would like a chance to pre-read any future works, please, let me know.

If you decide to read the lemon version of this chapter, please feel free to leave feedback here, where it is posted, or you can e-mail me directly.

I wish to extend my greatest thanks to Harvey Bautista, who did a magnificent job of pre-reading. Without him, this story would look quite different, in a bad way, from the way it does now. Thank You.

I also wish to thank everyone who read this story and left feedback, both positive and negative. Hearing from people who read the story gave me increased motivation to write more. You made this first time writing experience quite enjoyable, even though it wasn't always easy.

Once again I would like to invite all readers to tell me what about this story they have found interesting, confusing, enjoyable, or disagreeable. Feel free to email me your response, or post it in the feedback section.

I sincerely hope that you have enjoyed my efforts, and I hope to have more of my work posted in the future.

Thank You All!

Hawker748

P.S. QUICK EDIT BLOWS!


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